Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Ar dtús báire ba mhaith liom tréaslú leo uilig atá ag troid ar son an chirt maidir leis an scannal míoca agus pirít, agus an ceart acu agus fios acu caidé mar atá ceart agus cóir. Níl dabht ar bith go raibh fáilte acu roimh cuid de na ceannlínte a bhí á bhfógairt maidin inniu, is é sin 100% tacaíochta, ach nuair a amharcann siad ar na sonraí ansin tá imní ar go leor teaghlach i nDún na nGall agus níos faide. Ba mhaith liom go bhfreagródh an Taoiseach cúpla ceist fá dtaobh de sin.

I commend all those who are fighting for justice for those who have been impacted by the mica and pyrite scandal, particularly those from my county of Donegal. Right up and down the west coast of Ireland, they opened up their hearts and opened up their homes and told us their personal stories. They told us about the impact their crumbling homes have had on them, their families and their mental health. They have fought for justice and fought for what is right. From the schoolkids who came to protest outside the gates of Leinster House to all those around the world who supported this campaign, these campaigners won the hearts and minds of the Irish nation. They have moved the Government into a position where I believe it never wanted to be and a long way from where it was.

This scandal has devastated the lives of ordinary families and is a direct consequence of the Celtic tiger era, an era of no regulation and light-touch regulation. These families have worked hard all their lives and have scrimped and saved to build homes for themselves and their families. They want what every single person would want, and that is a place that is safe and secure and a place where they can raise their families. Through no fault of their own, however, they find themselves in a nightmare situation where their houses are literally crumbling around them. They have fought hard and fought a good campaign and they deserve our praise today.

We have been here before, however, and the devil is always in the detail and in the implementation of these schemes. These families previously signed up to a scheme only to find out that it did not do what it said it would do. This time it needs to be different. In Sinn Féin's view - and we have raised this with the Taoiseach - the Housing Agency, just like it did in the north Leinster pyrite scheme, should be tasked with delivering the scheme and families should not be left to fend for themselves. However, we are already hearing contradictory reports about what is on the table. We are informed that the campaigners were told this morning, before the Cabinet meeting, that what would be on the table as redress would be €145 per square foot. We are now informed that that is only available for the first 1,000 sq. ft and on a sliding scale thereafter. I wish to press the Taoiseach on why the Cabinet made such a decision. Did it run the numbers and look at how they would affect families in Donegal and elsewhere? Is the Taoiseach aware that, in respect of the scheme that currently operates, the average cost for demolition and rebuild of a home that has been notified to Donegal County Council is €150 per square foot?

The average size of a mica-affected house in County Donegal is 2,300 sq. ft. According to the Government's sliding scale, a homeowner will have to find €45,500 to rebuild their house. In the case of the average one-off house, which comes in at just shy of 2,600 sq. ft in this State, according to the sliding scale that the Cabinet has signed off on, the homeowner will have to find €56,000. The families are asking how this could be, and where they will find the money. They thought they would get 100% redress. They thought the Government had heard them. Can the Taoiseach confirm to the Dáil and, more importantly, reassure those families that the numbers I have referenced are not those that will be applicable? If the Government runs a scheme that provides €145 for the first 1,000 sq. ft and €110 for the rest, families will have to make such a contribution.

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