Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

12 o’clock

A Thaoisigh, glac cúpla nóiméad agus éist leis na focail labhair Nancy Healy agus Susan Ní Bhriain ar Nuacht TG4 aréir. Bhí cumhacht millteanach leis na focail, úinéirí tithe i dTír Chonaill. Labhair siad ar son mórchuid na ndaoine atá thíos leis agus atá cráite ag an scannal mica inár gcontae agus i Maigh Eo agus contaetha eile.

Tá sé soiléir nach scéim 100% í seo atá fógartha ag an Rialtas agus níl siad sásta. Mar shampla, tá siad á rá go bhfuil costas €60,000 sa bhreis orthu mar nach bhfuil na costais sin clúdaithe sa scéim. Éist leis an méid a ndúirt na daoine seo.

Yesterday, instead of dealing with the woeful deficiencies relating to the mica and pyrite redress scheme that have been highlighted by us in the Opposition and the homeowners, the Taoiseach chose to come here and deflect. While he may not want to listen to me, and that is fine, but why not listen to the words of those affected because they know better than him and me about what this scheme really means for them? They have lived this and waited for yesterday's announcement. They know the numbers better than any of us.

Ms Barbara Clinton of the North Mayo Pyrite Group stated:

The sliding scale has to go. We are coming up to Christmas and we thought today was going to be positive. We thought we would be there but we are not. For an average home there is a shortfall of €45,000. This is a nightmare scenario for families.

Mr. Michael Doherty of the Mica Action Group stated: "For even the smallest of houses, people will have to put their hands in their pockets". Ms Angelene Kelly from Inishowen peninsula said the cheapest quote she could get to rebuild her home is €155 per square foot and estimates she will need to cover a shortfall of almost €64,000 under the Government's proposals announced yesterday. She said:

I am absolutely devastated, disgusted and disappointed. I feel that our Government has just driven a final nail in the coffin for the mica homeowners. Where did this sliding scale come out of?

This is the question I have for the Taoiseach today. Where did the sliding scale come from? Yesterday, he said it was based on the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, SCSI, calculator but it does not use a sliding scale. I told the Taoiseach yesterday when we dealt with Leaders' Questions that the SCSI shows through its calculator the real cost for demolishing and rebuilding a house in the north west and it is way above what was announced by the Government yesterday.

Donegal County Council has told the Government that the tender price received from contractors to demolish and rebuild the first 43 houses that have come through the existing scheme is an average of €150 per square foot. That takes in all the house and not just the first 1,000 sq. ft. The Government's proposals go nowhere near that. This is not 100% redress; it is nowhere near it.

The Government must go back to the drawing board. There are measures in yesterday's announcement that I welcome and I have no hesitation in saying that. They have been delivered in respect of rental, storage and testing costs. All those are acceptable but the point is that is no use to families in Buncrana, Inishowen, Milford, Letterkenny, Lifford, County Mayo and other affected counties if they have to come up with €45,000, €55,000 or €65,000 to put towards remediating a house. These families are carrying large mortgages for the houses they built in the first place. This has happened through no fault of their own.

Will the Taoiseach get rid of the sliding scale and allow us to have a scheme that can be built on?

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