Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We need action by the Government to tackle the pyrite crisis and we need it urgently. The pyrite panel report can lay the foundations for a path out of the pyrite crisis. It is nowhere near perfect but it is a basis from which to begin to resolve the crisis and this process must begin now. In July, when the much delayed report was finally released, I stated I saw no reason to delay the establishment of a functioning pyrite resolution board.

The Minister gave stakeholders three months to come up with voluntary proposals to resolve the structural problems in pyrite damaged homes. The past three months have come and gone and to no one's surprise, no voluntary resolution measures are on the table. It is now down to the Minister and it is time to act. It should be funded by a levy on the construction and quarrying industries, which was recommended in the pyrite panel report. This would be a progressive and continual funding source for the resolution board. I note the Minister's intent to take steps after a further ten days to progress this, but it is essential this is not a rolling ten days used by some stakeholders to stall the process. The fund should not be solely based on an industry levy. It needs to be front loaded and based on future funds flow from the levy to resolve this national crisis, and this needs to be done as soon as possible. The State can then recoup these costs in the years and decades ahead from the growing levy fund.

There are also the developers, some of whom built the homes of people sitting in the Gallery today, who are still solvent and trading and presumably still earning revenue. There is a well-founded belief that these developers have hunkered down over the past 18 months waiting for the results of the pyrite panel report and have refused to engage actively with affected residents during this period. I know because I have met some of them. These developers need to be forced to cough up. The pyrite panel report states that stakeholders were far too slow in addressing the legitimate concerns of the home owners, often appearing more concerned about defending possible claims against them rather than in remediating the affected dwellings. I acknowledge the reputable developers who are taking their responsibility seriously and are remediating homes.

Recommendation 22 of the pyrite panel report deals with home insurance issues and recommendation 22(e) states that "the insurance industry should not withhold standard household insurance cover to dwellings specifically affected by pyrite". Recently I have received a number of representations from constituents refused basic building and contents insurance from reputable blue chip insurance companies for pyrite-related reasons. An e-mail I received this morning states a big insurance company refused building and contents insurance as it was not aware of the knock-on effects of pyrite. Just when people afflicted by issues with pyrite felt they could not be hit any further, they were faced with the refusal of even the most basic form of home insurance. This is a disgrace. Insurance is a basic requirement for selling a home and without it a house can be deemed worthless. These homes were bought in good faith and although the natural order has seen house prices decrease in recent years, pyrite affected homes are at a very real risk of being deemed worthless. We need to act now.

I wish to refer to suggestions that HomeBond might be involved in some aspect of the resolution process. HomeBond has lost all credibility to deal adequately with this issue, based on the relationship between its members, developers and builders. HomeBond should only re-engage to meet its financial obligations to home owners. It has lost all credibility to actually resolve the structural damage to the homes.

The pyrite panel report states that successful implementation of the recommendations will require one body, possibly the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government or a body in its aegis, to have responsibility for monitoring, co-ordinating and managing the report's implementation. The report also states that wider Government support and engagement is absolutely critical to the successful implementation of the recommendations. I fully agree with this. I am ready and willing to support practical and visible steps forward as I am sure is every Deputy. However, all of us, in the Government and Opposition alike, request urgency from here on.

I welcome the comments made by the Minister at the conclusion of his contribution that people should be in no doubt he supports the homeowners in this debate. It is now time to end the debate and proceed with haste to a resolution. People and families throughout the country and in the Gallery today deserve nothing less.

I wish to read from a note I received today.

It states :

We have now completed the assessment of your claim and following receipt of appropriate advice from our experts, we are pleased to advise that based on the information presented to date Underwriters confirm cover is available to you for Major Damage to the Structure of your property caused by defective materials utilised in its construction. It is now our intention to move matters swiftly along and advise you will shortly be contacted by one of our Adjusters, who will manage your claim from here-on-in.

That is a note received by a home owner under the Premier guarantee scheme. The woman handed me that letter this morning. The good news she received is what the people in the Visitors Gallery urgently need.

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