The Taoiseach knows the urgency of the situation for the families living in crumbling homes in Donegal, Mayo and the west. The problem and the difficulty is that, following a briefing from a senior Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government official with members of Donegal County Council, it has now been suggested it could be as late as September before this scheme is operational. This is seriously urgent. These families have waited for so long. We have had two years of the discredited so-called 90% scheme.

We urgently need the legislation to be brought through this House and a workable scheme that can allow these families to rebuild their lives. I ask the Taoiseach to provide that assurance today.

I can say to the Deputy that we want to pursue this as quickly as we can for the benefit of the families. The families have been under enormous strain as a result of the mica scandal. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, has brought forward, with the agreement of his Government colleagues, a very comprehensive scheme. We are going to do right by the residents and the homeowners. We will do what we can do get this operational as quickly and effectively as we can.