Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of RehabCare and the 3,000 people who avail of the services. The shortfall in funding is causing great anxiety and there is concern that the service will not be provided in 2020. Will the Deputy Leader ask the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Finian McGrath, to come into the House and make a statement on the future funding of that very important service?

Like Senator Mulherin, I welcome the pilot scheme for houses with mica damage. We were able to deal previously with pyrite. Apartment owners and dwellers do not have a voice either in this House or in the Dáil. I have raised the matter continually in this House. Approximately 70,000 apartments were poorly built during the boom. As a result, there are concerns about fire safety, damp and water ingress. Of most concern is the risk to life presented by fire. The Government has continuously refused to give assistance to those poor people who have been stuck with apartments. I call on the Deputy Leader to invite the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to come to the House and address this urgent matter. It is not acceptable for the Government not to provide a solution. The Government has addressed other problems concerning poorly built homes. Is it the case that the Government does not care about apartment owners because the turnout of voters who live in apartments in local and general elections is poor? They live in gated communities and politicians do not hear daily the liabilities these people face. They cannot sell their apartments, and they find it difficult to meet their mortgages, yet they face significant bills. In the Taoiseach's constituency, residents have been asked for €56,000 each to resolve fire issues. The situation affects Castleknock, Cork, Galway and Dublin. The situation requires urgent attention. Other problems have been resolved and pilot schemes are in place. I call on the Minister to come into the House and to make a clear commitment to apartment owners that they will be assisted in resolving problems that are not of their making. A previous Government and a low level of regulation caused this problem.