Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt don Aire Stáit as a dhíograis agus a thiomantas maidir leis an scéim seo. Gabhaim buíochas freisin leis an Aire, an Teachta Darragh O'Brien, as a thiomantas. I welcome the Minister of State. It is our fourth time to discuss this Topical Issue. I will make five points and perhaps when I make my next contribution I will be able to elaborate on them.

The first point is that facilitators are needed on the ground in Donegal with immediate effect to disseminate information and to fill a communication gap that exists at present, which is very difficult for homeowners. They are trying to navigate their way through this torture. It is a torture, and it is continuing. That is important. Ms Ann Owens of the Mica Working Group has been very consistent on this appeal. Commitments were made last summer. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, mentioned the outreach from the Housing Agency that is in operation, but people need to see this happening and to see people on the ground with immediate effect.

Second, I was delighted to hear the comments of the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, regarding the retrofit scheme. We have talked about this off-campus as well. While I welcome the retrofit scheme being assimilated into the mica scheme, it is very important that we do not add another layer of bureaucracy to what is already a quagmire in some people's eyes, making it impossible to pedal their way through this scheme. If the retrofit scheme is going to be done in unison, let us work into it that it is not an extra agency or Department trying to seek different rules and criteria. This has to be part of the one scheme.

The third point I wish to raise is the homeowners who have paid the engineering fees. On the last occasion, I mentioned a mother and daughter in Donegal who have taken out a loan of €12,000 from the credit union. That is a lot of money. The mother is not earning and is on a pension while the daughter is a carer, so they do not have money to pay back this finance. Basically, that money has to be paid back as a matter of urgency.

The 17% holding back on the payment is too high. In fact, some people believe it is actually as high as 25%. It has to be reduced, and I know there are conversations to that effect taking place. It is important that this is addressed as a matter of priority.

The point of raising this matter tonight with regard to the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, SCSI, is that I believe the Department made an error in what it did over two weeks ago. It drew up the terms of reference in consultation with the SCSI but did not include the voice of the homeowners. That was a mistake. It has eroded confidence in a process that is already at a very vulnerable level. It has really got the homeowners' backs up that they were not part of that as well. I know this has been addressed in terms of trying to have a better stakeholder representation, but the danger here is, with the SCSI feeding into the Department on the terms of reference, whether that door is closed or ajar for the homeowners, who incidentally are meeting with the SCSI today. Can they still have their voice heard and be part of the terms of reference?

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