Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have two points to follow on. I back the point made by Deputy Conway-Walsh about personal circumstances and finance requirements for the damage threshold. I believe it is only right that personal circumstances would come into that situation. There are many individuals who are in hard economic and personal situations. I would extend this further where certain individuals find themselves with a second home because parents have died who had applied for the scheme themselves. These people now find themselves in a situation where they have applied for one house and have been left a second house. I am not sure how to resolve that issue but it is a live one on the ground.

I also want to put on the record the concern about external boundary walls and garages. The scheme should cater for external boundary walls and garages. It is not as though the mica does not matter in those walls. As well as that, many garages actually cater for many of the needs of the house. In many circumstances the garage also houses the heating system. I would like the Department to take second look at this.