Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister or his Cabinet colleague had turned up to the public meeting, which was in his colleague's own back yard in Inishowen, he would have heard very clearly that this scheme is not working. Maybe then the Minister would take his head out of the sand. This scheme is not working. We voted against it because we voted for the amendments the campaigners wanted to make sure it would work. The Minister spoke about how some people are rebuilding their homes, and that is right. Again, I heard the lived experience of a family who have demolished their house. Do you know how much they have to put their hand in their own pocket for to pay to rebuild a house on which they already have a mortgage? They have to pay €100,000. That drives a horse and carriage through the Minister's pretence and guff that this is 100% redress; it is not. If the Minister listened to the real lived experience, he would understand that.

Now, I asked the Minister a specific question. The banks have come to the Government and said they will provide 0% interest because they know that this scheme is not working, and that people need working capital to start to rebuild their homes. The Minister is blocking that. For six months, he has had that proposal and he has not moved on it. I have all the documents from a freedom of information request right here in front of me. The Department of Finance told the Minister that the policy option here is for the Department itself to provide upfront costs. We have said that from day one. The Minister needs to provide upfront costs. Will he do it?

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