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Every page, guide, profile and update, in one list. If you cannot find what you need here, the search page looks inside the words on each page.
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Our people
- Cllr Denis McGeeDonegal County Council
- Cllr Tomás Seán DevineDonegal County Council
- Charles Ward TDTeachta Dála for Donegal · leader of the 100% Redress Party
- Cllr Ali FarrenDonegal County Council
- Cllr Joy BeardDonegal County Council
Help & advice
- Am I eligible for the redress scheme?How to tell if your home qualifies, and the first step to take.
- Applying for the increased remediation option grantIf you got your determination before 23 October 2024, you can apply for the higher rates and cap. Here is who qualifies and how it works.
- Applying step by step: the four phasesPreparing, building, rebuilding and finishing.
- Are rental properties included in the scheme?Rental homes with a tenancy registered with the RTB on or before 1 November 2021 can be included. Here is what that means for landlords.
- Can I get SEAI energy grants as well?Homeowners in the defective blocks scheme can also apply for SEAI home energy upgrade grants. Here is what is available and who to contact.
- Can someone help me with my application?Community facilitators in Donegal can guide you through the application and help you reach support services. Here is how to contact them.
- Coleman Legal and the group actionWhat a group action is, in general terms.
- Do old test reports still count?Old coring reports and engineer's reports can support your application, but most people still need a Building Condition Assessment.
- Does my home need to be my main residence?The scheme is for homes lived in as a principal private residence. Here is what that means, and what to do if your case is unusual.
- Finance: grants, caps and the shortfallHow grant caps work and where costs can sit outside them.
- Foundations, demolition and the real cost of a rebuildA rebuild is more than rebuilding walls.
- How do I find an engineer, architect or builder?Where to check the registers for engineers, architects and surveyors, plus a list of trades and contractors working in Donegal.
- How long do I have? Time limits in the schemeYou have 78 weeks to start works and now 130 weeks to finish and claim. Here is what each time limit applies to, and how to ask for more time.
- How much is the grant? Rates, the cap and ancillary grantsThe scheme cap is €462,000. Grant rates rose by 7.4% to 8.7% in November 2024. Here is what changed and who the increases apply to.
- If you disagree: reviews and appealsRoutes to seek a review of a decision.
- Ireland's Timeline: On The Precipice, by Debra MacCoyDebra MacCoy's reference book traces Ireland's defective block crisis from the first signs of trouble to today, with lessons from Connecticut and Canada.
- Mould in a defective home: what it can do to your healthDamp and cracking walls can let mould in. Here is what health bodies say about mould exposure, and where to get support.
- Petrolab and testing your blocksWho Petrolab and Dr Chris Brough are, what their testing has found in defective blocks, and how they describe the different concrete types.
- Quick answers about the grant schemeShort answers to common questions about the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme: who qualifies, how to apply and how grants are worked out.
- Social housing and rentersThe crisis affects tenants too.
- Temporary accommodation during worksWhat to consider if you have to move out.
- The alternative accommodation grantIf you must move out during works, an ancillary grant can help with rent. Here is what to prove when you claim it, and how the 2024 increases apply.
- The Enhanced Grant Scheme and its five remediation optionsWhat the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme is, who runs it, the five remediation options, and the official documents to read.
- The European dimensionWhy the crisis has been raised at EU level.
- The science: what defective concrete isPyrrhotite, mica and why blocks crack over time.
- Useful links about the defective concrete schemeOfficial scheme pages, legislation, standards, tax, banking and research links for homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks.
- What about apartments and duplexes?Apartments and duplexes with defects fall under a separate scheme, run through Owners' Management Companies. Here is where things stand.
- What does planning retention cost?Typical professional and council fees for a retention planning application in Donegal, so you know roughly what to expect.
- What is I.S. 465, and how is it being reviewed?I.S. 465 is the Irish Standard for assessing, testing and categorising homes with defective blocks. What it says, and where its review stands.
- What is S.R. 16? Guidance on aggregates for concreteS.R. 16 is NSAI's guidance on aggregates for concrete in Ireland. A 2026 amendment added guidance on sulphur testing and deleterious materials.
- What is the 40-year guarantee, and who is insured?The State guarantees your repaired home for 40 years. Engineers are not covered by government insurance and must carry their own.
- What is the Section 51 review of the Act?The law requires the Minister to review how the defective concrete Act is working. Here are the deadlines and where things stand.
- What the scheme may not coverThe gaps families most often ask about.
- Where did the mica narrative come from?Why the crisis was first blamed on mica, what lab tests later found, and the research that now points to pyrrhotite and internal sulfate attack.
- Who are the Mica Action Group?How a group of Donegal homeowners, starting at a kitchen table in 2013, campaigned for the State to act on defective concrete blocks.
- Who do I contact about the scheme in Donegal?Phone numbers, emails and opening times for the DCB Grant Section, the Housing Agency, SEAI, planning and Local Property Tax.
- You are not alone: mental health supportFree, confidential help when the weight is too much.