Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

I do not know who thought it was acceptable, or who thought it was acceptable for the Minister to go back on his word. It is certainly not acceptable to me or to homeowners in Mayo.

I also wish to raise retrospective payments. Time and time again, I have asked him to cover houses that people had to build before the scheme in. They have to be covered. There are gaps that people are trying to deal with. Let us take Páirc na Coille in Westport. There is €50,000 of a gap. How in the name of God does the Minister expect people to find €50,000? They cannot find it. It is just not there. Now I have to go back and tell some of them tonight: "Actually you are not included in this. He has excluded you." Jesus, I do not know what to say to the Minister at this stage. He says he stands ready to provide financial help. If this is what he stands ready to do, it is absolutely disgraceful.

I want to take another matter up with him How does it take more than eight or nine months to get the results of tests that are done? I have people waiting since early this year to get the results back from the tests so they could get on with their work. Can the Minister give me an explanation before we leave the Chamber tonight as to why the tests take this long? Is he sending them to Mars? It is taking eight or nine months to get the results of the tests back. I am not an engineer but I can tell going into a house, because I have been in so many houses that are falling down, that somebody has pyrite. There is pyrite in the defective blocks in Mayo. It takes eight or nine months to get the results of tests back. Where is the scheme for the social houses? The Minister said the Government is putting away money for a rainy day. Is it not brilliant? What about the social houses in Mayo and other houses where the rain is coming in through the ceiling and rats and mice are coming through the gaps in the wall? Jesus, the Minister says that he is listening and it is so obvious that he is not hearing a word of what people are saying. We keep giving him the solutions and telling him what needs to be done but he still refuses to listen.

I have to bring up with the Minister the current inspection of the quarries. There is a need to appoint a geologist to make sure the aggregate coming out of the quarries is fit for purpose now.

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