Yesterday, at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Ms Lisa Hone of the Mica Action Group spoke of how one year after the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage announced his intention to bring forward a new redress scheme, households felt abandoned by this Government. They remained locked out of the scheme and facing a shortfall of tens of thousands of euro to rebuild their homes and their lives. Ms Hone described in her own words how thousands of families are enduring life in unstable structures that are impossible to heat and are riddled with damp, black mould and dangerous electrics. They are extremely dangerous conditions. Ms Hone's words are true. I have seen those homes with my own eyes. Ms Hone also spoke of the fact that the Minister has still not appointed a senior counsel, as promised, to investigate how to pursue those who supplied the defective materials, ruining their homes and ruining their lives.

The reality on the ground is that we have thousands of people in my own county and right across the State who are locked out of redress. When will the Government bring forward the scheme that was promised over a year ago and when will it keep its promise to appoint a senior counsel to investigate those who caused such disruption and devastation in the first instance?

The Government is keen to get the mica scheme up and running. I want to see dozens, if not hundreds, of houses being repaired and rebuilt next year. We all want that to be the case. I understand that some regulations now have to be agreed by the Minister. I will come back to the Deputy with the timeline once I have had a chance to speak to him, and on the issue of the senior counsel.