Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Like the Deputy, I welcome the proposal from the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on the levy. In reference to defective concrete blocks, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, referred to the responsibility of industry regarding the costs of these remediation schemes.

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, I thank the members of the working group for the work they undertook in preparing such a comprehensive report in a tight timeframe. I assure the House of the Minister's commitment to resolve these issues.

The Deputy is correct that I cannot anticipate what might appear in the budget in this regard. However, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, has given a commitment to work with the homeowners to try to resolve these issues in a manner that is just and sustainable for the affected homeowners. I take on board the point the Deputy made on the pyrite remediation board. I assure the House that the Minister is determined to resolve these issues. A significant number of properties are affected by these serious issues. The Government is determined to try to resolve them on behalf of the homeowners.

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