Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Members for the valuable contributions. I have listened closely to the comments and statements and I appreciate and acknowledge the level of anger and frustration felt by communities in counties Donegal and Mayo and beyond, as has been alluded to by other speakers in the House.

Earlier today, I had the privilege of going outside to meet with the residents who were affected by this awful saga. I received a submission from Savannah, a young girl out in the middle of the protest, in a respectful way. For people who have travelled long journeys to be here in Dublin, adjacent to the convention centre this afternoon, the dignity and respect they carried in having their voice heard is commendable, considering the frustrations and nightmares they are going through. As many allude to and speak about these nightmares, it is unbelievable what these families are going through, in terms of what is happening to their homes.

I was outside, along with Deputies McHugh, Ring and Carey and Senator Burke, to engage with the residents and heard many of their personal stories throughout the afternoon and many of the speeches made by those involved in the campaign. I also have been kept updated in all matters relating to the scheme, by my colleague, Deputy McHugh, and he has impressed on me and on the Government the need for change and the need to review this scheme.

I met Fine Gael councillors, namely, Councillors Harley, Kavanagh, McGuinness and Sweeny in County Donegal, on the same issue a number of months ago. I have heard loud and clear the voice of their community through them, its elected representatives from my party. They were expressing their clear frustrations in terms of their community and what they are going through. The Government has committed to providing solutions here. I reiterate the statements made by and sentiments of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, earlier in that the scheme is now under active consideration by the Department and the Government, with a view to making it more accessible for the affected, defective concrete blocks in counties Mayo and Donegal. The Taoiseach is already on record today in this House on the matter.

Our homes are a place in which we seek refuge. We go there for safety, security and to feel at ease and in comfort. When one can no longer find refuge in one's home and when one is anxious and worried about the safety of oneself and one's family and the security of one's future, this has a lasting effect. We must provide and assist homeowners and provide solutions for mica to enable them to again feel safe and plan their future in their homes.

Members will be familiar with the scheme and the purpose for which it was set up, to deal with defective concrete blocks, cracks and fissures, which are affecting the structural integrity of people's homes. The Department is engaging in ongoing dialogue with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, to provide clarity on whether eligible homeowners can access SEAI grant funding, while also availing of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme. This would also help prevent a lock-in of carbon inefficiencies in their homes.

Many comparisons have been made with the pyrite resolution scheme, which were well articulated by Members. I accept the valid points made today and I reiterate discussions are ongoing between the Department, local authorities and the local action groups on the ground going through this issue. We hear their frustration. I acknowledge again the respectful way it was brought to us today.

The Department and local authorities have engaged with local communities extensively, over the past decade, with a report of the expert panel on concrete blocks commissioned by the Government and published in 2017. This report identified and investigated the issues and examined how best the Government could support affected homeowners. The aim has always been to return dwellings to the conditions they were in before they were affected by excessive amounts of mica and pyrite. I assure the House the Government is committed to improving supports for homeowners affected by defective blocks.

We have heard the message carried out today by thousands of people who made the journey from counties Donegal and Mayo and beyond. Work is under way to find a workable solution.

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