Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

I welcome this motion and commend Deputy Ward on bringing it forward. There are families trapped in homes that are unsafe and that are literally crumbling around them. They put their faith in the defective block scheme. They filled out every form and jumped through every hoop and now some are being punished for being too early, for daring to hope that the Government would stand by them in their hour of need.

When this scheme first opened, it was sold as a lifeline, but what has it become? It is a bureaucratic nightmare that is causing inequality and that leaves families stranded on outdated costings that are years out of date. This is nothing short of a national scandal. People have every right to feel abandoned by this Government.

If we take the grant scheme, there are approximately 25 families in County Clare who are trapped in the original scheme, and these increases mean nothing because they are locked out and forgotten. Take Martina Cleary, a woman who only did one thing wrong, which was to believe the promise of the Government. Martina has to pay a mortgage of €14,600 for a demolished home; a pile of rubble in which she has built memories. She will now have to borrow tens of thousands of euro to finish her home. Why? The grant given to her does not cover the costs. All this on a single income, and she is just 12 years out from retirement. Is that fairness? This is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about dignity, justice and the right to a safe home. These are real people. Their walls are cracking, their ceilings are falling and their lives are unravelling. Let us not forget those in social housing left paying rent for homes that are falling apart, homes the State itself knows are defective.

We also want to see an effective scheme for those living in social housing and private rental accommodation. This Government cannot continue to turn its back on them. The message from Clare and other areas is loud and clear: we need fairness. We need a Government that will stop making excuses and start making things right. While Ministers talk about figures and frameworks, the people I represent are living in fear with debt and with the heartbreak of watching their homes crumble to dust. The stress and emotional toll on those homeowners cannot be overstated. These families need some hope. They need to see light at the end of the tunnel and it is the Government's responsibility to give it to them. It is essential that they are listened to, that their needs are understood and that they are addressed.

We have raised this repeatedly with successive Governments for years and still homeowners are waiting for a raise in the square metre costing cap, updated grant rates and an extension to the timeframe for complete remediation works and legislation to be passed. We in Sinn Féin are committed to the 100% redress scheme for affected homeowners. It is time to act and it is time to deliver. It is time to stand with the families, not against them.

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