Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Under the programme for Government, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage established a working group to examine defects in housing. I want to concentrate today particularly on apartment stock and multi-unit development stock. It is important that this working group does not pit homeowners against each other. There should be no discrimination between owners of homes and owners of apartments. We know many apartments in Dublin city and Cork city are affected by fire safety defects and other structural defects. Many of them are going to be landed with huge lump sums in their management fees to remedy these defects. Because regulation at the time was so low, it is important that the Government steps in to ensure they get a fair chance and that they have some sort of consistency and reliability in terms of the redress scheme. It is important that schemes such as the pyrite and mica schemes are not differentiated from schemes that will affect apartment owners. It is important that they get 100% redress.

We also need to look at the retrospective aspect of these schemes. As we know, apartment owners and multi-unit developments are run by management companies, which have an onus to take out insurance each year. If steps are not taken to remedy fire safety defects, they will not be covered. There is a sort of differentiation between homeowners and apartment blocks.

I want to make sure this is a priority for this Government. I ask through the Leader when the Minister expects to publish the final report. Will there be estimates included in next year's budget? It is important that homeowners get 100% redress. Many owner-occupiers cannot get any tax deductions if they have to put up lump sums for remedial repairs whereas a landlord can set this off against his or her tax.We need to look at the way the scheme works, not only for homeowners who have an income but also for the many apartment owners who do not and who will not have the means to remortgage in order to pay these huge lump sums. A fair scheme must be put in place for apartment owners.