Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Chéad-Aire sa Tuaisceart, Michelle O’Neill, agus roimh fheisirí nua Pharlaimint na Breataine chuig ár dTeach.

Ní aontaím leis an mhéid atá ráite ag an Teachta Doherty. Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil an-chuid infheistíochta curtha ar fáil ag an Rialtas d’úinéirí tithe agus do theaghlaigh a bhfuil an-chuid damáiste déanta dóibh de dheasca míoca. Tá suas le €2.5 billiún curtha ar fáil ag an Rialtas don scéim seo. Is scéim i bhfad níos fearr í ná an scéim a bhí ann cheana in 2019, scéim a raibh Sinn Féin sásta léi.

Bhí Sinn Féin sásta leis an scéim a bhí ann in 2018-19.

I disagree fundamentally with the Deputy's presentation. Legal advice is always given to Government on a whole range of issues. I met with the representatives of mica homeowners at the time as Taoiseach. We dealt with many of the issues they raised with us in respect of the deficiencies of the 2018-19 scheme. The fundamental reality is that Sinn Féin supported and acquiesced to that 2018-19 scheme. Deputy Mac Lochlainn is on the record as having said that scheme would suffice. Of course, it was not satisfactory. That is why the Government acted in terms of dramatically changing and transforming the schemes.

The enhanced scheme, which was legislated for in June 2023, provides financial support to affected homeowners in Donegal, Mayo, Limerick and Clare. Additionally, Sligo has been added. Grants of up to €420,000 are available for affected homeowners, depending on the works required under the scheme. Transitional arrangements for the transfer of applicants from the older scheme to the new scheme were also provided. The enhanced scheme provides an evidence-based system for new counties or parts of counties to be designated as required. There is a lot of research and an extraordinary amount of work. A report on the first six months of the operation of this scheme was recently prepared for the Minister. It concluded that within the legislative framework set down by the Oireachtas, the scheme was operating satisfactorily. Indeed, the new scheme provides very substantial enhancements: 100% grants, subject to an overall maximum-----

Outrageous.

-----grant of €420,000 per dwelling; grant rates in keeping with advice from the Society of Chartered Surveyors; and a Government guarantee in the form of a second grant option, if required, for a period of up to 40 years. That was not in the previous scheme, which Deputy Mac Lochlainn was happy with.

The new scheme includes a revised application process, which removes the financial barrier to scheme entry; an independent appeals process for applicants; and alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works to the maximum value of €25,000, which people had asked for. It provides for the expertise of the Housing Agency in assessing applications, the inclusion of RTB-registered rental properties, which had not been included in the older scheme; the inclusion, as I said, of Clare and Limerick in the enhanced scheme upon commencement; and exempt development status for remediation works completed under the scheme. The scheme is estimated to cost €2.3 billion. I do not know how the Deputy can say the focus has been on limiting financial allocation to this scheme when the costs are estimated at about €2.3 billion. By any objective yardstick, it is a significant response by the Government. Quite a significant number of applications were received. The combined total paid to local authorities to date is approximately €49.3 million. Some 1,644 applications had been received in the older scheme - they have transitioned to the new scheme, plus a further 514. A total of 821 applications were referred to the Housing Finance Agency.

Homeowners are telling the Tánaiste that the scheme is not working. That is the nuts and bolts of this. Everybody can tell you this. Some 1,300 people turned up in Inishowen and 500 turned up in Mayo to tell us the scheme is not working. The scheme is not working. It locks people out. I have the Attorney General's advice with me. His advice was very clearly aimed at keeping people out of the scheme and trying to limit the exposure. How is it legal advice for the Attorney General to call into question the competence of certified engineers? How is it legal advice for him to call into question the competence of the staff working in our local authorities in Donegal and elsewhere? Riddle me that. The Attorney General was not giving legal advice in a lot of this. It was actually policy advice. Where he did give legal advice, in chapter 23 he says "it is important to urgently engage competent local solicitors". With regard to quarries and block manufacturers, he states:

There is considerable urgency with this because if any claims are not statute barred it would be necessary to issue proceedings urgently to avoid them becoming statute barred.

He goes on to discuss Cassidy's quarry and to question whether it was attempting to avoid liability by going into liquidation. He makes it clear that even if Cassidy's quarry goes into liquidation, it can still be pursued.

Thank you, Deputy. Táimid thar am.

I put it to the Tánaiste, three years on, that the Government has locked thousands of people out of this scheme.

Thank you, Deputy. You are over time.

Three years on, what has the Government done to pursue the wrongdoers, the block manufacturers and the quarry manufacturers that the Attorney General told it to pursue urgently?

Hear, hear.

Deputy Doherty went over his time. I do not mind a little leniency, but we are going to have to comply with the rules.

First of all, we have locked nobody out of this scheme. Sinn Féin, and Deputy Mac Lochlainn in particular, gave an admittedly cautious welcome to the previous scheme in January 2020.

So did the campaigners. So did you.

That scheme compares in no shape or form to the new scheme that this Government introduced.

Protect your friends.

Our scheme is far more comprehensive and far more expansive. It deals with all of the issues that were all of the issues raised with me when I first met with the group. The policy response has been a very generous one. There has to be an evidence-based approach to it. The Society of Chartered Surveyors was brought in to look at the costs and all of the implications and to make provision. I do not think there is a jurisdiction anywhere in Europe that would have responded in the manner that we have responded as a Government. We also created further additionality in terms of the retrofit schemes and the SEAI.

Answer the question about the Attorney General.

In terms of any new remediation, the retrofitting facility-----

What about the Attorney General?

-----is now available, which is additional again in terms of the scheme.

You are too embarrassed to address the question.

The Tánaiste, without interruption.

I reject the assertions from Sinn Féin. You have not been on the ball on this for quite a long time. For example, you never replied-----

Why will you not answer the question?

-----to a written request two months after the working group report was published.

We tabled 80 amendments to the legislation, which you rejected.

You never replied, for some reason, to give your own detailed position on how this-----

You rejected 80 amendments to the legislation.

You guys dropped the ball a bit.

Deputies, I will not proceed in this manner.

He is too embarrassed to even address the question, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Deputy Ó Broin, I will not proceed in this manner. We are going to treat each other with dignity and respect.

What about treating the homeowners with dignity and respect?

Oh now.

Deputy, I am not going to repeat it. We are going to move on. I call Deputy Holly Cairns.

You have ignored the issue.

Again.

You have ignored the issue again.

Can we hear from the next speaker, please? I ask Deputies to listen to Deputy Cairns.

Is there a speaker or a heckler? Or are there both? You are not ready to be one speaker instead of two hecklers.

If we got an answer on any of the questions-----

Sorry, we have hecklers in chief and speakers in chief. Which one is it?

Deputy Lawless-----

I have asked the question twice about pursuing the wrongdoers.

The Tánaiste could have spoken up for the homeowners.

Deputies, if this continues, I am going to stop the Dáil.

I apologise, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Apologies are not helpful at this point. We are going to move on with dignity and respect and listen to each other. We will hear from Deputy Cairns without interruption.