Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Over the last few days, we have been warned about the severe weather conditions in the days ahead. Temperatures as low as -7°C have been mentioned. We are told not to be afraid to turn on the heating, that the Government will help. Now imagine living in a home affected by pyrite or mica in County Mayo or County Donegal with gaping gaps in the walls.

There is wind and frost coming through where the window frames have detached from the blocks, and they have been looking at this for the last ten winters. Across the State, homeowners and tenants impacted by building defects have to endure another winter. Hundreds of families across Mayo have their lives torn apart by pyrite and the sad thing is that it was totally avoidable. They were the victims of light or no regulation and this was not their fault, so why are we asking them to bear the responsibility for the injustice of pyrite and of defects and for the failure of Government to regulate to protect them? It is as simple as that. Now, there is the failure of Government to recognise the need for 100% redress to replace the homes they paid for.

This is the problem. We met in Westport about ten days ago with all of the homeowners who have been impacted there. They were given the mortgages by Mayo County Council for homes built by a housing body, so it was oversight by all of the Government bodies. What is happening is that many of them cannot afford to get this work done because it is not 100% and they cannot turn 70%, 80% or 90% into 100%. We have to look at the people we are excluding from the scheme. With regard to the foundations, this conversation has to stop and the foundations have to be included in the repairs.

I also want the Minister to talk to the banks. We talked to the banks in the last week about the cap of €500,000 being lifted. I have a letter here from the bank to a homeowner who is impacted by pyrite and who desperately needs some funding to be able to access the scheme. The bank is basically saying no, that there is nothing for the homeowner, there is no equity in the house and it does want to know. There are so many things that need to be fixed in this scheme.

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