Dáil debates

Thursday, 23 June 2022

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Defective Building Materials

10:10 am

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. I have been very clear. We need scientific evidence on this and it is being done independently through the review by the NSAI of the standard. We need scientific research and testing on infill as well. If the Deputies were on this side of the House they would do the same. We need to bring forward the legislative basis to provide for what is effectively a new scheme. This scheme is night and day different from the one in 2020. That should be acknowledged too. There is the second grant option, the extension of the guarantee for the works from 20 to 40 years, which is something the residents looked for and is incredibly significant. There is the upping of the caps as well. At a minimum, more than likely we are looking at the State providing, rightly so, about €2.7 billion to help people get their lives and homes back.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, SCSI, will be presenting to the committee today and I do not want to prejudge what it will say about the work it has done. I commend its work heretofore. The committee will also hear from Paul Forde, chair of the expert group. He did an incredible amount of work and is definitely the most eminent expert in this field in the country. The standards and the material itself are being tested independently and scientifically so we can be very clear that it is not just opinion. I am not dismissing people's fears at all. That is being done. I cannot speed it up. This work is being done independently of us. Today's meeting will be very informative and I welcome the fact that the committee is holding those hearings.

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