Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our delegation. I know a little bit about the subject because I was involved in the beginning when pyrite became obvious. I was involved, along with others, in the construction of the blocks of houses and in the removal of blocks of houses about 30 years ago where there were structural defects covered by insurance, Home Build or its predecessor. There was no difficulty about it. What Ms Hone has said is true. The problem was identified and, within six months, resolved. Houses were remedied in a major way, taking the roof off and the whole thing down to the foundation. They were able to be rebuilt and no hassle about it. All was covered. It cost the householder nothing. It was all because there was insurance cover from the beginning.

To put things in order now, we need to ensure no more of this happens. If we allow a situation develop where the State has to move in with several billion to solve every problem that comes up in the future, the State will be fully occupied doing that for a long time to come. That will not work. The economics of that is out the window. I am not a supporter of the block levy. It is a clumsy way to address the matter. The Minister knows my views on that subject. I am anxious, as I have mentioned to several people involved, to try to bring about some resolution to the problem that is reliable, such that we can say we have solved the problem, that it will not happen again because of regulations and that no house purchasers will be imposed on for that reason.