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Dáil
‹ Order of Business

Defective concrete blocks in Donegal

Summary

Charlie McConalogue pressed for a redress scheme for homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks in Donegal. The Housing Minister said the issue was complex, the Minister of State had been working on it, and more information would follow after meetings.

This is a question for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. In December 2015, the Government announced its intention to set up a special committee to investigate defective concrete blocks in Donegal with a report date of May 2016. It is now two years after that and the more than 5,000 homeowners who have defective homes as a result of defective blocks still have no clarity or commitment from the Government about putting a redress scheme in place to help them to fix their homes. It is scandalous that the Minister has sat on this and tried to delay in the way that has happened so far. He has, in effect, continued to kick the can down the road. The National Standards Authority of Ireland report was due to be published by April. We are still waiting for that. Will the Minister tell the Dáil when that will be published and will he also tell us when a redress scheme will be put in place so that those homeowners who are living a nightmare will finally get some relief and some assistance from the Government to get their lives back on track?

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Eoghan Murphy Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Fine Gael

I thank the Deputy for raising his concerns about this issue. I am aware of them as they are held by a number of other Deputies in this House. Having viewed some of the affected properties, it is a very difficult situation for people to be in. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has been dealing with this issue. It is complex and he has not been sitting on his hands. No one in the Department has. He has been to visit some of the homes to see the situation at first hand. He is meeting officials tomorrow and, following that, we will be able to issue more information about what is happening with the report and the recommendations, some of which are being implemented, and the possibility, if there is one, of a redress scheme in the future.

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