Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have with me a response to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy Clare Daly on 22 June 2016. It is disappointing that the Minister of State's response is effectively a cut-and-paste job from that. In fact, I was flicking through it and I could read, word for word and sentence for sentence, the reply given by the Department to the Minister of State to be read in the Seanad today. It is exactly the same as the reply in June 2016, almost one year ago. Without any disrespect to the Minister of State, it appears that the Department has not moved on very much in a year, particularly in view of the fact that it has provided - word for word - the same response. What we are discussing here is lives that are at risk in apartment blocks and estates across the city and the country. We are also discussing the capacity of individuals or groups of individuals, residents associations or public representatives to make representations to the Government about the nature of the risk that exists.We need a confidential facility for any person or group of individuals to make a complaint about a concern they have, which they will not make lightly. It is not a light thing for anyone to say they think there is a fire safety issue in his or her block of apartments or in his or her estate. The person would make this confidential request to the Department which would then conduct an audit. However, a more robust audit has to be carried out nationally and must not be dependent on councils. Either that or we must demand that councils conduct these audits because otherwise cases will continue to arise throughout the country. It will take until the fire actually happens because although residents are concerned by fire safety, they are restricted by their concern for the value of their properties and worry over reputational damage. I am not trying to have a political go on the response given to me. I understand what happens here, that cut-and-paste jobs are done all the time for ministerial responses, but we cannot wait for another estate or apartment block to go on fire. A proactive response is needed. The councils are not doing it and we must ensure they do it and that have a confidential information line that groups and residents can use to have their fire safety complaints rectified.