Applications have opened for a new £1 million cladding fund in Northern Ireland.

The new fund aims to support the removal of unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding from private residential buildings.

It is being made available to management companies acting on behalf of residents in residential buildings over 18m in height who would otherwise have an obligation to meet the cost of cladding remediation.

The Department of Finance will administer the fund of behalf of the Executive, with information on eligibility available on the Department's website.

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Finance Minister Conor Murphy said: "The Executive is committed to ensuring that residents are afforded the same level of fire safety in all buildings as in other Devolved Administrations.

"This funding is targeted at the highest risk buildings fitted with unsafe ACM. It will ensure those impacted are given peace of mind while also being protected from bearing the cost of replacing the unsafe cladding on their homes. This will provide homeowners with reassurance and ensure that mortgage lenders and insurers can have confidence too."

In addition to the ACM Fund, the Department of Finance has today also announced a public call for leaseholders / building owners to provide evidence that their building is fitted with unsafe non ACM cladding materials.

Minister Murphy added: "My Department is aware that other unsafe cladding may be in place in high rise buildings. We are extending this call for evidence to encourage any residents, developers or building owners of buildings over 18 metres fitted with unsafe non ACM cladding to provide evidence. This will enable us collectively as an Executive to assess the extent of the problem and to determine the scale and necessity for any future remediation fund."