Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Minister. I too want to pay tribute to the council staff who worked extremely hard that weekend, and the staff from the Minister's Department who came to visit. I was in a house within the past week that still has a porch loose and sitting in the front garden. That household has small children, one of whom is a baby.On health and safety grounds alone, the sooner a conclusion can be reached, the better. Some people have been sorted out already. Does the Minister of State have any idea how much longer it is going to take? We are now in the month of December and this happened on 1 September, more than three months ago. I understand that there can be queries around costs and so forth but on health and safety grounds, this must be sorted out. A total of 25 houses were affected although only five had to be evacuated. The sooner this can be resolved, the better for everybody. I ask the Minister of State to take that message back to his Department.