My question is for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and is on an issue I have raised on many occasions in the House, which is the 5,000 homeowners in Donegal whose homes are affected by mica defective blocks. This time last year the Minister gave a commitment that he would publish a scheme to help those who need redress and financial assistance to fix their homes. A year later the scheme has not been announced and no homes have been fixed. This is the second last working week before Christmas. Can the Minister ensure, at the very least, that the scheme will be published before Christmas so homeowners will know they can apply for a scheme in the new year to get their homes fixed?

The Deputy and his colleagues in the constituency have been raising this issue continuously. I have been to both Donegal and Mayo and I have met families affected as well as the council executive. As regards rolling out the scheme, we are finalising the regulations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the moment. As the Deputy said, there are two working weeks left in this year and it is my intention to have that work finished within the next two weeks so we can make an announcement of an opening date for the scheme.