Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important Commencement matter and I thank the Minister of State for coming to deal with matter of the Government’s enhanced grant scheme for defective concrete blocks. In many ways, the Minister of State is very close to it. It is a major concern in his constituency and I note his commitment to address it. I also note his experiences and how he interacts with his constituents in respect of this important matter.

The reason I raise this is because I had been keeping an eye on the European Parliament petitions committee, which drafted a report. The report is only in draft stage yet; I think there is another bit to go on it and there is certainly comment and feedback on it. No Irish MEP is a member of the petitions committee in the European Parliament, which is interesting in itself, but Irish MEPs have observer status and clearly have looked at the documentation around this. The delegation from this committee travelled to Ireland last year. They investigated issues relating to mica following the submissions of a number of petitions received from Irish citizens. According to the draft report, the delegation found that while the State scheme was, to quote it, “very ambitious and comprehensive” - which is positive commentary by the committee - it should be widened and the red tape reduced. The EU petitions committee also found that defective blocks problem had led to severe heath, financial and social consequences that need to be tackled as a matter of urgency. We all know that. It is a very traumatic time for anyone in the context of damage to their home but , more importantly, regarding how they are going to rebuild it. There are financial and health considerations. Moving out and finding temporary accommodation are both challenges. There is also the question of from where people will get additional funding if they require it. There are many difficulties in that regard.

The petitions committee also recommended that the role and capacity of the national building and Control and Market Surveillance Office needs to be strengthened, ensuring that it is sufficiently resourced and staffed to carry out its principal function in relation to matters such as this. The committee also stated that "The market surveillance system in Ireland, both at national and local level, needs to be enhanced, adopting a stance that is proactive and persuasive, rather than reactive".

The committee's report is a draft report. We await the final version, but it does flag some concerns. The Commission says it is happy to assist the Government and to support the regions in which affected buildings are located.

This is a very traumatic time for people, particularly those in Mayo, Clare and Donegal. I am not familiar with what is happening in Mayo - the Minister of State may be able to share some information in that regard with us - but walk-in clinics are being run in Clare to assist people to navigate the process and be compliant with it. This is because the process is quite complex. There are supports in place. What we need in the short term is as much support and one-stop-shop clinics to explain matters to people and help them navigate the process.

This is a major issue. If he is in a position to provide it, I would like to hear the Minister of State's initial response to the recommendations in the EU petitions committee's draft report. I would also like him to outline how the Government intends to proceed.