Supports offered by the government should not depend on your proximity to Leinster House
The mica scandal is another grim legacy of boom era shoddy construction standards, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan.
“Ordinary people have again been left to pick up the pieces of lax government regulations and building standards – quite literally in this case, as their homes are falling down around them.
“A scheme for people in Leinster impacted by the pyrite scandal was set up in 2013 – when the country was in the teeth of a financial crisis. If the State had the capacity to set up such a comprehensive scheme when the country was broke, it should be able to do so now too.
“Supports offered by the government should not depend on your proximity to Leinster House. People in Donegal, Mayo and Clare deserve the same level of support as people in Leinster.
“It is welcome that the Government will not oppose the 100pc redress scheme for the mica scandal – but this needs to be more than empty symbolism. The Minister needs to revert swiftly with the details of an amended scheme.
“The issue of lax building standards is one that is broader than the mica scandal. We have seen it before with pyrite and with pervasive construction defects in apartments, built during the Celtic Tiger. As many as 100,000 apartments across the country have serious building defects like fire safety issues.
“Home-owners, and the State, are persistently left with the liability of paying for expensive building repairs – while construction companies, developers and quarry owners walk away scot free.”
“The State cannot keep picking up the tab for negligence by the construction and quarries sector. Strong standards need to be enforced with respect to building materials, including a rigorous system of testing and independent inspection.”
15 June, 2021
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