Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister does not have a clue what is happening on the ground. If he or his colleague had turned up, they would know that. There were 1,300 people present, some of whom who could not get into the room and were out on the streets. That is what happened. This scheme is not working. We tabled 80 amendments to the Government's legislation to make this scheme work. Ours is 100% redress end-to-end where people would not have to build their homes on their own. It should be the same way that the pyrite scheme worked.

I put a question to the Minister. A proposal was put forward by the banks. The banks are actually emailing the Minister's Department to talk about the misery and distress that is happening with families because they are in touch with them. They are their customers. They want the Minister to provide either through the banks by 0% financing or with upfront costs. We have said from day one that the Minister should provide upfront costs. The Department of Finance wrote to the Minister in November of last year to say that the policy solution is to provide upfront costs. The Minister is so out of touch with this scheme. He does not have a clue about what is happening on the ground. He does not understand the misery or pain. He stands there and tries to tell me that this scheme is working. I know these people. Some of them are relations and neighbours of mine.

See this speech in context