Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is to ask the Minister of State for an update on the work of the mica panel established to examine the extent of the problem in terms of mica affected blocks which are leading to many homes having cracks in walls and other severe structural problems. What progress has the panel made so far? What is the deadline in terms of when it should report? I ask also for an update on the Government's plans for a redress scheme to assist home owners fix their homes following on from that report.

I thank the Minister of State for travelling to Donegal and meeting with affected home owners since I last raised this issue before the Dáil recess. The Minister of State committed to doing that in the Dáil and took the time to do that. He met many home owners and saw for himself the impact this problem is having and how damaging it is in terms of the houses affected and the lives of the families who live in them.

The Government has dragged its feet on this issue over the course of the past two to three years. Initially, it dragged its feet in terms of committing to setting up the expert panel to assess the problem and report on it. The panel, since it was set up, has also dragged its feet in terms of the report deadline. When it was set up initially, the deadline was 31 May. It was then pushed back to the end of October, and I believe now it has been pushed out to the end of this year.

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