Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. The response is consistent with the information the Minister has been sending to me. I will focus on several elements. The word "independence" was used a number of times in the reply. This independence has been somewhat tarnished by what has happened in the past two weeks. It is very important that whatever submission the homeowners make is not just seen as a listening exercise but also that they have something to contribute. It has to be done in a proactive way.

Since 2014, when the then Minister of State, Paudie Coffey, and I sat in a room with officials from the Department with responsibility for the environment, there have been many false dawns and timeframes. Many months have been mentioned. We have been told that this will be done and that will be done in the next few weeks. We are all coming out of lockdown. People who are fortunate enough to have homes have spent two years in them. Mica homeowners have spent two years in houses that are falling down. They need a timeframe that is honest and upfront. The Minister has said in response to me this will be completed at the end of the spring and the legislation will go through. The Attorney General and his team are working very hard on this. They are making it a priority. They are meeting twice a week. It is very important that we stick to whatever timeframe we give and it does not drag on. According to the old Gaelic calendar spring starts in Ireland on 1 February. It is argued that in the northern hemisphere spring starts on 1 March. We need to be very careful about throwing out timelines that will not be met. We have to help people navigate their way through this. The most important thing that needs to happen today is that people who are owed money for engineering costs need to be repaid. We need facilitators on the ground as a matter of priority.

See this speech in context