Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Much of the Minister of State's reply restates the obvious. As mentioned by him, approximately 500,000 people live in multi-unit developments. These are the people at the coalface on this issue. I am seeking an update on the implementation of the recommendations in the Fire Safety in Ireland report. What is the mechanism by which the task force reports to the Department? Do I take it from the Minister of State's response that this matter is the responsibility of the owner management companies and residents can sink or swim. Speaking of sinking, the issue is that in many cases the sinking fund is insufficient to deal with building defects and fire safety issues. If the bond holder, insurance company or builder does not return to fix defects, what are the residents to do? Members of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government will be aware that this issue was raised directly at a meeting of the committee by the Apartment Owners' Network. How often does the Department receive updates on this issue and does it have a handle on the scale of the problem in terms of building defects? Will the Government examine mechanisms to assist in this area? This is a ticking time bomb as many of the owner management companies are verging on insolvency and do not have the funds to carry out the works that are required.

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