Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I want to thank the secretariat and the background people who have facilitated the sessions all day today. I acknowledge their input. This would not be possible without that. I welcome Ms Timmons and Mr. Jordan today. Given the time constraints, I will head up some headlines. I will ask if they could supply the committee with some written responses to them, because they are quite detailed. We have to tease out this legislation.

At the outset, I want to mention, as Deputy Ó Broin did, the idea that the local authority is responsible for processing the applications and for sending on the validation of applications, etc., to the Housing Agency. That is an issue of resources for the local authorities in question. They may grow. There are quite a few there, but there may be more. I would therefore like some commitment from the Department or some detailed statement on the funding. This will be a large body of work for some local authorities. There will be a certain amount of work for the Housing Agency. The witnesses might touch on the issues of the funding, resources and expertise that are needed.

I would like a briefing document on subrogation, how that all works and how that can be rolled out. I will not touch any more on that. In relation to the planning permission exemptions for rebuilding or for modifications of these houses, we need clarity on the issues of the exemption, which is an issue of concern. The other the issue is the excluded counties. We need to know more about the pathways for these excluded counties if they wish to be included. It is my understanding, although I am open to correction, that Limerick and Clare are going to being included. We need a pathway. We need to understand the pathway for other countries to come in, if that is an issue.

I also raise the appeals process. There is a suggestion that there will be a ten-person appeals panel put in place. At this stage, we do not understand this ten-person panel appeals process. I would like some information on that. It would be beneficial to the members of this committee, as well as to all the other people who are involved in this process today, for us to understand that.

I also raise an area that we do not talk about enough, which is the issue of support for the vulnerable householders and families, for example with counselling and support for themselves and for their extended families. This is an important aspect and it is a separate part of the compensation. Mental health is a huge issue. I talk to these people in Donegal and Mayo. This is a mental health issue because it is an absolute nightmare for them to be living in these circumstances. They are strapped for cash, their houses are crumbling all around them and the State has abandoned them. That is what it amounts to. We need to hear about that. We need a briefing memo or a note on the Department’s intentions.

Finally, I want to touch on the issue of culpability. The Minister was reported the other day as saying that there will be some sort of a levy scheme. Levies on buildings and on the construction sector are ultimately passed down to the consumer. I have some concerns about that. I understand that the Government is engaging with senior counsel. They will appoint somebody. There will be this issue to address. Who will pursue the wrongdoers here? That is what the public wants to know. They want their homes to be replaced, but they want people to be held to account. Smaller quarries or people in building, construction and the manufacturing industry have been bought out. I will not name them, but I know that two or three major conglomerates in this country have bought some of them up. Who is responsible? The public is looking at the committee today. They are aghast by the fact this is costing billions of pounds. Rightly, people need to have their homes. Yet, we have got to hold people to account. That is what the public wants. The public expects us to hold people to account.

In the last two minutes, Ms Timmons might focus on that. I have asked that there would be a memo or report on each new issue I have raised here today and for it to be circulated as early next week as possible. I know that the Department has to give consideration to it and I understand that. However, in the last two minutes, can the witnesses tell me what the Government's intentions are? What are the Department’s intentions? What knowledge do they have on how we are going to follow up and hold people to account for this absolute disaster? That is what the public wants, too.