Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not due to a lack of common sense. The criteria are very tight and rightly so because it is taxpayers' money. The priority is to fix the houses with considerable damage which are very badly affected. This is what we are trying to do. More than 1,400 applications have been made, 553 have been fixed and 500 are in play this year. We are trying to deal with those in bad need of remedial works. This is the priority. I accept there are people in the next category with pyrite levels in their house or who have pyrite associated with their estate and they cannot sell their house. However, this does not necessarily justify spending €50,000 on a house if it does not need to be fixed yet. This is not common sense either. I agree with the Deputy we must find a solution whereby we can address this. I am being asked by some people to spend money on houses that do not need it. In fairness to the Deputy, she is not doing so but others have.

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