Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

I ask the Tánaiste to do a practical thing to help families impacted by the defective concrete blocks scandal. I ask him to tag on a non-consequential amendment to the emergency planning Bill to ensure homeowners currently in the process of rebuilding can avail of the updated Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, rates. This will help bridge the gap between the building costs and the grant. It will also help those who are constrained by the cap. The Minister has accepted that the rates needed to be increased to address construction inflation. This is not a policy change I am asking for, so tagging on an amendment to enable updated rates to be applied retrospectively would enable the homeowners to get on with rebuilding their homes and lives. It has been publicly stated on numerous occasions that no one would be disadvantaged by the date at which they entered the scheme. I ask the Tánaiste to tag on this non-consequential amendment to the emergency planning Bill to help people in the process of building their houses to get those completed, get back into their homes and stop having to pay huge rents when there are not rentals available. This is a solution to the situation people are in right now.

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