Mica redress construction inflation
The Deputy raised construction inflation as a major obstacle for homeowners in the mica and pyrite redress schemes and asked whether updated county reports had been requested. The Tánaiste said he would ask the Housing Minister to respond and accepted that inflation would have to be reflected in any scheme.
Among those attending the cost-of-living rally this Saturday will be the homeowners whose lives and houses have been torn apart by pyrite and mica. There are huge problems even as things are, as outlined by my colleague Deputy Doherty. Construction inflation is proving to be a huge barrier to homeowners accessing the redress scheme. Has a request been made to the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland to report on all the counties currently in the scheme, given the time that will take? There will be huge problems if that request has not been made and if we do not have the new figures. Builders are rightly giving a price for jobs and the amount being allocated to homeowners is no way matching that. Not only are we not getting 100% redress, we are getting further and further away from it. This is having a huge impact on homeowners.
Comment on this
I do not know if that has been done but I will ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to get back to the Deputy directly. I accept the point she is making. Construction inflation is running at about 12% a year at the moment and that would have to be reflected in any scheme the Government provides.