AQW 39393/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 29/01/2026
Answered On Date: 06/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any responsibilities his Department currently holds in relation to (i) protections; and (ii) quality standards, for purchasers of new-build homes.

Answer:

My Department does not hold responsibility for quality standards for purchasers of new‑build homes.

Protections for homeowners provided for by my Department arise from the Defective Premises (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 as recently strengthened by the Defective Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 2024.

The Act provides for protections for homeowners and tenants where dwellings are defective or unsafe, leaving them uninhabitable.