Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)

I endorse the calls of Deputy Paul Murphy for an Irish representative on the legal observer post for the Global Sumud Flotilla. It is well within the tramlines of diplomatic action that we would do that.

I raise with exasperation and desperation the case of Barry Corcoran in my constituency. In 2019 Barry wanted to take part in a deep retrofit pilot programme. He did his due diligence, checked the SEAI register for approved companies and picked a company from that list. Unfortunately, when the company began the work, the SEAI realised it had not done due diligence on the company and took it off the list. The company walked off the job and for six years Barry’s house has been a building site. The SEAI has washed its hands of it. The house requires €200,000-plus worth of repair works. His family has been raised in a building site and there is no one there to help him. This has been in the media and been with multiple Ministers. There needs to be a solution. He is not the only one. There are not many but he is not the only one.

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