Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I indicate my support for this amendment. People who were in multi-unit complexes where there were significant defects related to lack of proper compliance with building and fire safety controls, and who have had to pay large sums of money, should absolutely get some retrospective compensation for that fact. They, along with the people affected by mica and pyrite, are the victims of cowboy builders who were facilitated by the wild west approach to building development that existed in the Celtic tiger period.

I pay tribute to Noel Manning, who was a slightly obsessive character on the issue of fire safety. He was an expert on it and used to knock down the doors of many Teachtaí Dála. He was always contacting us to point out the almost complete lack of proper fire breaks in buildings from that period in particular. I remember he took me out to I think, Belarmine, or one of those places on the northside to show me the lack of fire breaks. It was quite shocking when you saw how this stuff was allowed and that there were not proper controls on it or proper inspections. The people who bought in good faith ended up picking up the bill for it. It is outrageous and the Government and the authorities of the time, which allowed it to happen and quite consciously pushed a light-touch regulation policy in that area, are responsible. They should acknowledge that responsibility to people who suffered very significant financial hits as a result. These fire safety defects are consistent with those other issues of pyrite and mica and all those affected should get 100% redress. This at least would go some way to giving this cohort retrospective redress so I support the amendment and the thought behind it.