The defective concrete block grant scheme is not a national scheme. Why not? Why is it limited to counties Donegal and Mayo? Other counties, including County Louth, have dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage tells me there is ongoing engagement with a number of local authorities and local action groups on requests for extension of the scheme to other counties. Fair play to Donegal and Mayo but we cannot split the country in half. We need to treat the citizens of Ireland the same. Families have to leave their homes and keep paying their mortgages. If a house is deemed unfit a family cannot live in it. This is also causing serious mental health problems which I have witnessed. We all deserve to be treated the same. Please do not split the country. Please let everyone be able to join the scheme.

The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is working on proposals for the Government on an enhanced scheme to assist people whose homes have been blighted by mica. As part of this he is considering whether a national scheme might be preferable to a county-based scheme for exactly the reasons the Deputy has enunciated. In these circumstances it would be a national scheme operated by the Housing Agency rather than schemes operated by local authorities. If a house is affected by mica or pyrite it is affected by mica or pyrite and what county it is in should not make a difference.