Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Ó Coigligh said, "The vast majority of those who need help will get all the financial assistance they need." Has he any idea how offensive that is to the people and homeowners I represent in County Donegal? Has he any idea how offensive it is that - I will read out Mr. Ó Coigligh's title - the assistant secretary in the Department would say that and for somebody at such a high level to make statement like that today? I appreciate that Mr. Ó Coigligh did not draft this legislation. He is implementing it and, therefore, is curtailed. He could not change what was brought into the legislation last year. Very little change has been made from where we were one year ago. I cannot tell Mr. Ó Coigligh how offensive that is. I will explain why, however.

Representatives from Engineers Ireland, which represents engineers throughout the country, appeared before the committee today. It represents the engineers who have been working with the scheme on the ground and they said this is not fit for purpose. They said some engineers. When I said the majority of engineers, if not all of the engineers I know in County Donegal, they did not contradict me. The majority of engineers say it is not fit for purpose. The National Standards Authority of Ireland told us it cannot stand over this. It is being reviewed. It could take up to the end of next year, yet the Department makes no provision for foundations in the funding, so that is excluded. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, said it would not at all recommend building houses to the 2008 regulations. How on earth can Mr. Ó Coigligh say the vast majority of people are getting 100% redress when the ability to build to modern regulations and the provision for foundations are excluded?

The chief executive of Donegal County Council said on Highland Radio in recent days that he would personally recommend that the foundations be taken out. He is a qualified and respected engineer, like all the engineers in County Donegal. There is no provision for foundations and a sliding scale has been put in. Where did the sliding scale come from? The SCSI did not provide the Department with a sliding scale. How on God's earth can Mr. Ó Coigligh make a statement like that? Does he not understand how offensive that is? I am an intelligent man and so is he. The vast majority are not getting 100% redress so he should please not insult people. Does he want to respond to that?