Building defects and national testing office
Deputy O'Callaghan highlighted the huge cost and human impact of pyrite, mica and apartment fire-safety defects, and stressed the role of the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office. The Tánaiste said an urgent working group was being set up on unresolved issues and he would get details on the office and reply.
The cost of the pyrite remediation scheme will be more than €160 million and the cost of the mica redress scheme will be well over €1 billion. The potential cost of addressing fire safety defects and construction defects in apartments will run into well over €1 billion. The human cost for homeowners who through no fault of their own are living with the stress and anxiety of seeing their homes literally fall apart around them is measurable. The National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office, which checks and tests building material from quarries and other suppliers, does crucial work and it is operating at only 50% of its required staffing levels. Why is the Government operating this crucial function at only 50% of its required minimum staffing capacity? If the Government is serious about protecting homeowners and taxpayers, would it not make sense to resource this crucial function properly?
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Tá an tAire ag bunú grúpa oibre dírithe faoi theorainn ama idir oifigigh Roinne agus ionadaithe ó údaráis áitiúla Mhaigh Eo agus Dhún na nGall. Aithneoidh an grúpa oibre saincheisteanna atá fós gan réiteach agus rachaidh sé i ngleic leo. D’fhéadfadh an grúpa tuairisciú ar ais don Aire faoi dheireadh mhí Iúil lena gcuid gníomhartha. Cuirfidh an tAire na gníomhartha sin faoi bhráid an Rialtais. I will have to find out what the facts are and come back to the Deputy on the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office, but I will do that and provide him with a reply as soon as I can.