Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

The Minister's response is factually inaccurate in several instances. He acknowledges that the regulations were inadequate and had to be changed. The issue, however, is whether he was aware of the problem at that time. There is now disputable evidence, given most recently at a symposium in Trinity College, that there was a massive awareness of this issue in terms of the ground engineering literature that was in circulation at the time and the geology of the area. It is indisputable that the information was out there and, as such, the building regulations should have ensured adequate testing to deal with it. Had that been in place, the nightmare scenario now facing families would not have arisen. Will the Minister respond to that point? His officials attended that symposium and have had it confirmed that the industry knew that testing should have been done, not least for sulphur attacks on concrete. The Department did not do that and although this was before the Minister's time, it remains the case that the Department is responsible for overseeing the building regulations. Given that it has been acknowledged as deficient in this regard, the Minister must take responsibility to remedy the matter now.

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