Apartment building defects
Catherine Martin raised the need for stronger consumer protection for apartment owners facing building defects. The Housing Minister of State said the Minister was examining a recent report and that the Government was working with management companies and fire authorities to make buildings safe.
On behalf of the Green Party, I extend our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and party colleagues of the late Manus Kelly.
I noted with interest last week that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, was quoted as saying the Government needed to do more consumer protection work to protect people who were living in apartments with building defects and that much more work needed to be done to deal with such defects. I know that the Taoiseach is familiar with this issue. When I raised it previously, he said many homeowners in his constituency, like my constituency of Dublin Rathdown, were facing substantial bills due to defects. Will the comments of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, on the defects signal a move by the Government to examine possible supports for the homeowners affected? Two years ago this month, a Green Party motion calling for assistance to be given to homeowners was passed unanimously by the Dáil. A year and a half has passed since the publication of the Safe as Houses report which made a similar call for relief to be provided. Will the Taoiseach tell me whether the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has discussed the issue with him since he made his comments last week?
Comment on this
When the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, was launching a report last week, he said it was worthwhile to read through it and examine its recommendations. He gave a commitment to do so. He has said here on many occasions in the past year, including in debates with Deputy Catherine Martin, that the Government is happy to try to work with management companies to find solutions, certainly in apartment blocks. The number one priority is to make them safe. The fire authority in the area is also involved. We are continuing to work on the matter. The Minister has said on many occasions that if someone can produce solutions that will not expose the taxpayer, the Government will be happy to look at them. We are engaging with the management companies to try to bring forward solutions. That is what the Minister was referring to last week. This work will continue in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.