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THE AGRICULTURE MINISTER has declined to say exactly when a much-anticipated Government proposal on a mica redress scheme will be considered by Cabinet.
Charlie McConalogue, whose Donegal constituency has been at the centre of the mica crisis, said today that he believed that any proposal brought to Cabinet would deliver 100% redress to homeowners.
However, he was unable to say when the long-awaited scheme would come to Cabinet for approval.
Defective building blocks containing excessive deposits of the mineral mica have seen thousands of properties start to crumble across the country.
An estimated 5,000 homes in Co Donegal are affected, with thousands more understood to have faulty blocks in counties Sligo, Clare and Limerick, with campaigners calling for 100% redress from the Government.
“There has been ongoing engagement right across Government over the last number of weeks in terms of finalising this scheme and getting the details right,” McConalogue said on Sunday.
“The key objective is to ensure that the scheme we put in place is one that is right, fully thought out and covers all the different aspects in terms of the support that homeowners will need.”
He said that he was engaging with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and other ministers on the shape of the eventual scheme.
“We don’t want to make the mistake of putting a timeline of when exactly it will go to Cabinet,” he said.
“Everyone is working to make sure it comes to Cabinet as quickly as possible.”
“Homeowners want us to ensure that the scheme is right and it stands the test of time.”
He said that the expects the plan to come to Cabinet “very soon” and re-iterated his backing for a scheme that meets the demands of campaigners.
“I absolutely believe it needs to be 100% and that’s what I’m working with Minister O’Brien to achieve and I’m confident that we will get a scheme that will achieve that.”
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Tax payer to the rescue
McConalogue playing politics and pandering to his local support base to ensure his re-election.100 per cent redress is unjustified and unwarranted. Only in Ireland, the world continues to laugh.
@Raymond Barry: I take it your a FFG Me Feiner?! It’s the government’s fault regulation was weak and its the quarrys owners responsibility to compensate for the defective product they sold! Count yourself lucky you aren’t one of the families affected.
@Raymond Barry: It would be amazing if he gets in next time but he won’t care with TD and minister pension
And who will the tax payer get a 100% redress from……answers on a postcard to no one, at any time, ever!!!!
@Brian McDonnell: you should count yourself lucky you aren’t one of those homeowners. Whilst someone has to pay the price for this whether redress or criminally, the homeowners should definitely be helped, their homes are falling down, how is that fair on them. I do think who ever took shortcuts, probably the quary, then the owners need to be personally liable, they should not be allowed hide behind a limited company on something the scale of this
I’d like to see the governments definition of the word ‘soon’. Because it’s been coming ‘soon’ for a bloody long time at this stage
That should all get a bog basic 3 bed timber house not the mansions they have to keep tax payer bill down
@Gerrard: if your wash machine broke down you wouldn’t be happy to get a sub-standard replacement. 100% redress just like in Leinster with Pyrite.
@Peter McGlynn: Likewise, If you buy and insure a car and 5 years later it is written off, you still only get market value, not a new car. If the fault was with the manufacturer, you go to the manufacturer for compensation.
Only I Ireland This government are a farce
Most of these House are blots on the landscape. Build energy efficient homes that blend in with the landscape. There must be a cap on costs. And the tax payer should not be stuck with a bill for rent or internal fittings.
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