Ms Martina Hegarty:

My home was built using defective concrete blocks. I am joined today by Ms Josephine Murphy, who is also impacted by the issue; and online by Mr. Thomas Campbell, a chartered engineer who has been supporting homeowners in counties Mayo and Donegal through this nightmare. We are here today because we must provide the opportunity to the people of County Mayo to finally move forward with their lives and rebuild their homes. We want to feel happy in our homes again. We want the scheme up and running. Over the next three weeks the Oireachtas will play a key role in deciding our future. We need its support in ensuring the Bill is not passed until it is fit for purpose and provides all supports necessary to homeowners to rebuild their homes. Today we welcome the opportunity to address the fundamental flaws that exist within the legislation and the scheme in general on behalf of the people of County Mayo.

As homeowners, we are acutely aware of the damage that is in our homes. There is no escape from the daily mental stress of monitoring the expansion of cracks, the appearance of new cracks and the constant worry about how we are going to be able to afford to rebuild our homes. We are extremely concerned about what lies underneath our homes. Many homeowners are reporting cracking floors and jamming doors, which indicate either issues with the foundations or possible pyrite heave, similar to that experienced by homeowners in Dublin. Many homeowners in County Mayo are very nervous about the introduction of a damage threshold. While we accept that every home entering the scheme must have damage, it is unacceptable to block homeowners from entering the scheme by introducing a damage threshold. It creates another layer of stress, as well as additional paperwork and fees, for homeowners, some of whom have been waiting up to ten years for the delivery of an effective scheme. As homeowners, we know what is needed to rebuild our homes. Over the last two years the committee has listened to our demands for 100% redress. It is not a sound bite. It is what it will take to rebuild our homes. A total of six homes have been rebuilt in County Mayo to date. We welcome the fact that those homeowners will benefit from any changes to the scheme. However, those who had no choice but to remediate before the scheme commenced have been left behind.

On 3 March this year, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, published rates that were supposed to reflect the true cost of our rebuilds, but the resulting figures were tarnished due to restrictive terms and conditions set out by the Government. The terms of reference dictated four estate-type homes and four rural-type homes, each increasing in size. The SCSI was asked to generate figures based on 2007 building regulations. The cost to employ an engineer to generate all of the paperwork necessary rebuild our homes - of up to €15,000 - was requested to be ignored. Smaller homes cannot carry the weight of these costs on a square foot rate. Boundary walls, which are a threat to the health and safety of our children, were excluded. There are others limitations which I have included in the briefing document. The SCSI is not at fault here. It completed the task with one hand tied behind its back. Since the publication of the rates, we have seen inflation rise to more than 9%, but the square foot rate of €161 on offer by the Government today will not rebuild my home. My home will be one of the smallest to enter the scheme. However, based on high-level quotes received to date, I may be up to €50,000 short of the cost to rebuild my home. We were promised that the scheme would be like for like, but no money is on offer to replace the finishes I have in my home. I have worked hard to make my house a home. It is not a like-for-like scheme. It is disingenuous to suggest that it is, just as it is false to inform the general public that we are receiving 100% redress.

As homeowners, we are being restricted by not one but two caps. The current upper grant cap is €420,000. Removing the allowance for rent, storage, and possible emergency costs, we are left with €395,000. The cap forces 33% of our homeowners into even more debt. It leaves them unable to send their children to college or unable to rebuild a granny flat for their parents. Homeowners will not be able to draw down a top-up or second mortgage as their homes are currently worthless, while many are still repaying their first mortgage. We proposed a workable solution, namely, allowing homeowners to downsize their home but receive the cost of their current footprint. Unfortunately, it was rejected by the Government. It is the only solution that provides a true pathway for homeowners to receive 100% redress. There are multiple benefits to the homeowner and the State in this approach. It enables the elderly, those planning for retirement and vulnerable adults who are living in the counties with the lowest disposable income in the country to rebuild their homes.

Our request to the committee today is to enable us to get on with it. We ask that we are provided with what we need to rebuild our homes. As homeowners, we have been placed in one of the most stressful situations of our lives. We want to escape this mental anguish. We did not create the issue, yet we are being asked to pay for it. Over the last ten years we have been actively campaigning for the scheme. We are not in this alone. There are now 12 other counties with us. This is a second attempt to deliver a workable scheme. We are not asking for compensation. We are not asking for anything extra but to be able to rebuild our homes. We need to get it right this time.