Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

We need to revisit the other structural issues that emerge, including in respect of HomeBond, for example. I do not know whether the Minister of State has done any work on this. He is correct that some of these matters are very serious. While the taxpayer should not be liable under this scheme, the homeowner should not be either.

With regard to the basis of the scheme and the idea that it is connected with damage, the board has asked what the problem is if one's house is not damaged. If there is pyrite, the house will get damaged. One cannot build an extension and one cannot sell the house, decorate it or put in a new floor. One cannot move the house. Therefore, there needs to be a system that captures those people who have pyrite that may result in problems. There needs to be some way to alleviate the burden of testing so those concerned might be able to get a green certificate after a certain period. If there is to be no oxidisation and further damage, the homeowner needs to be able to show this. Unless the problem is remediated or the homeowner gets a green certificate, he or she cannot move on. We are talking about tens of thousands of homeowners. This will have to be addressed, probably sooner rather than later.

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