Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This Bill is long overdue. It has been proposed and discussed for decades, and was most recently brought back to the table by the former Minister, Phil Hogan, in 2014. There has been a register of a voluntary nature since 2014. I am not making a criticism of the construction industry in and of itself, but the phrase "self-regulation is no regulation" has come up in any number of Dáil debates. It is a phrase we regularly reflect upon for many sectors of life. In order to ensure that there is an adequate level of regulation and transparency, there needs to be full independence. That is important. I do not think it is appropriate that the register is to be located within the CIF. It should be independent and located within the NBCO.

The lead time of two years for registration is not necessary, given that the register is already in existence. It needs to be relocated.

Similarly, it is not appropriate for the representatives of these bodies to be on the board. There needs to be a clear separation. It needs not only to be above board, it must also be seen to be above board.

There is also an issue with adequate redress for consumers. Much of the focus recently has been on defective blocks, etc. I am from a part of the country that has not been at the centre of those things. However, the people in Mayo, Clare, Donegal and north County Dublin have my utmost sympathy. In every part of the country affected, those involved deserve 100% redress. It is absolutely heartbreaking for anyone who has invested so much time, work and money in a home only to find it to be structurally unsound, unsafe, compromised and letting in cold and damp, particularly when there is nothing they could have done about it and certainly nothing they can do about it now. It is vital that we prevent such issues arising in future.

The regulation of providers of building works does not just apply to situations involving defective blocks and other materials. Unfortunately, there have been too many instances both on an individual basis and across large developments of inadequate building standards. The Bill is crucial to ensuring that those are eliminated.

This is not a criticism of the Government. Many of these issues have been around since before it took office. There were poor practices in the past in the building of social housing. Certain social housing units built 15, 20 or 25 years ago should be lasting better than they are. There are issues relating to damp and cold. In one location in my constituency, two local authority housing estates sit across the way from each other. One is ten years older than the other and is approximately one third bigger. My office gets three times as many complaints about maintenance issues from people living in the newer, smaller estate. It is all connected to damp and cold, relating to windows and damp-proof courses not done properly. It is vital to address this across the whole housing sector.

Deputy Matthews spoke about retrofitting, which will be crucial in the future. While grants are available for apartments, there are many streets of houses that are in desperate need of retrofitting, including in my constituency. I am thinking particularly of the Greenmount area and Mount Sion Road.

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