Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The rationale for doing this scheme is to help homeowners to be able to rebuild their homes. That is the only rationale. This level of State intervention is unprecedented. It has never happened previously at the level it is happening now. It is because it is a social priority. In other words, we believe the residents and homeowners in Donegal, given the situation in which they find themselves, are not in a position to rebuild these homes. It is not their fault the blocks were defective. That is my point - the blocks were defective. These people did not know that. Let us be very clear here and let there not be any implication that I was blaming homeowners. That would be wrong, and anything I have said today is the contrary of that. We must help the homeowners. That is the spirit and ethos of our scheme. It is designed to enable the homeowners to rebuild their homes and to ensure they will not have expenses while they are rebuilding those homes or having them rebuilt, through the €20,000 for the rent and the storage. In the methodology we have deployed, through using the work of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, that is the best approach to deal with the cost issue.

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