Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome this Bill, which has clearly received a general welcome across the House. It is nice, when Members are debating other Bills that are not quite greeted with the same level of consensus, that this Bill has been introduced. Others have already spoken about the general recognition of the need to provide some resolution for the many homeowners affected by pyritic heave, which is a real affliction to their homes. However, as others, including my colleague, Senator Hayden, have already stated, it seems unfair that the taxpayer should be obliged to foot the bill. At the same time, the Government is facing up to responsibility and to dealing with mistakes made in the past and to making some form of amends for them. Others, including Senators from the benches opposite, have referred to the contribution made in this regard by the late Shane McEntee. It is nice that everyone recognises he had sought very hard to find a resolution for the homeowners and all Members welcome that with this Bill, some degree of resolution will now be put in place. However, as others have noted, it is to be hoped that at some point, the polluter will be obliged to pay at least something towards the cost of that resolution.