Victor Boyhan demands urgent action on Donegal defective blocks

Thank you, Cahillac. I firstly want to welcome the Minister and his officials here and to acknowledge the enormous amount of work that's been done in relation to this matter. Indeed, I served for nearly 10 years in the Joint Office Committee on Housing Planning and Local Government and therefore this was a matter that we discussed at great length. And yes, Senator Blaney is right, there were many detractors from some of the proposals. And yes, there were emotions running high in both houses. But remember, we're talking about people's homes here. We're talking about people that were strapped for cash. We're talking about people whose homes were crumbling under the ground. And there was, of course, that expectation they could build like for like. I'm not saying I agree with that, but there was that expectation. I particularly know Bun Cran and that part of Donegal more than other parts. But today I want to just focus on Donegal. And I think it's really important. Many of you may have heard on the BBC the other night commentary in relation to Donegal on this matter. And I'm sure RT did likewise. But I suppose I just want to touch on a few issues. Minister, your department confirmed that more than £235 million has been spent on the redress so far. The department says that 1,700 remediation determinations have been issued so far, with remage works completed on more than 320 buildings and commenced on more than 1,000 others as of October. However, Donegal County Councillor member Joy Beard is one of the, you know, the, what you call 100% redress campaigners. Expressed serious concerns and warned that thousands of families living in homes that are still, you know, in dark straits, dark conditions, unsafe, unhealthy conditions in the run-up to Christmas. Whether it's the run-up to Christmas or the run-up to Easter. Nobody should be in that situation. Many householders, she says, cannot imagine up-run costs, cannot come up with the up-run costs. They need to participate in the scheme and can make up the shortfall between, can't make it up between the shortfall between the grant and the actual building costs. While we don't have enough accommodation for these families to be rehoused, we are in a housing, at a time of housing crisis. Now, I don't doubt that you understand all of that, because I know you do. So, I think that's important. But I want to look back, and this is one of the reasons why I talk in relation to the 100 redress campaigners. And we do know, let's be realistic, they received a mandate in the local elections. Joy Beard in South Inishown, Tom, Thomas Sean Devine in Letterkenny, Ali Farron in North Inishown and Dennis McGee. And, of course, we have 1TD here. So, there was clearly a lot of anger, there was clearly a lot of disappointment, there was clearly expectation. They have democratic mandates from the people they represent, as do others. And I want to pay tribute to all parties and none who have advocated also strongly, no less than these. But I'm just saying, there is a real focus now, and a feeling there needs to be something done. And if you look at the campaign and the commentary, I sort of looked at the commentary of the 100% redress campaign, but I also looked at members of Sinn Féin, indeed, who are very strong in this area as well. But all parties, and I mean, the common themes are all rental properties and those building zone at community level, local authorities, community-based organisations should be included in the scheme. A grant rate must reflect the cost of the rebuild in accordance with the modern building regulations. Emergency funding should be released quickly to the most vulnerable and all those occupying unsafe properties. And auditors required of all public buildings to understand the full extent of the problem. Demand, these are all quotes from contributions and media comment, demand that the government, its agencies and local authorities provide suitable temporary accommodation as a matter of urgency, promote and continue scientific research in the cause of the defective blocks, require local authorities to publish monthly statistics, indeed, on the status of the applications, the number of properties remediated, the grants, the monies outstanding and time taken to get on with the inquiries. Look, Minister, that's the scenario, and I don't think any of us need a lecture on that. We all understand that across these houses. I want to acknowledge really the importance of your bill and I want to work with you, as I know many people in this House want to work with you. And we know and acknowledge the significance of this bill, which is, after all, to amend the eligible criteria of the applicants in the grants in respect to alternative accommodation to provide for further mechanisms of assessment in certain dwellings damaged by the use of the defective blocks. This is all set out clearly in your bill and I want to acknowledge that to provide for an applicant for an increase in the amount of grant remediation in certain dwellings damaged by the use of defective blocks, to amend the time limit for the payment of the grant remediation, to provide for the construction of the new dwellings in exceptional circumstances, to provide for the renewed certain approved remediation options and procedures for the approval of the new remediation of grants, etc., to enable certain joint owners to become relevant owners, to provide for the charging of orders of additional payments and their release, to provide for the information sharing of specific public bodies, and to amend and extend the building control act of 1990 and improve regulations and certification and appliances on completion of certain circumstances. Look, I think that's a good suite of measures. That's what you're proposing in this bill. I'm not going to rush in here with a load of amendments, meaningless amendments, that aren't going to get us far. What we need to do now is progress these key objectives. I think that's really, really important, that we progress what you're setting out in this bill, and we talk in the coming days. I've looked at the debate in the Dáil. I've seen where it went. And at the end of the day, the people who are expected to live in these circumstances need support and need address. In the last few minutes, Minister, so I support the direction of this legislation and bill, and really what we need to see is the timing of all of this. But I think the message I will leave you with is we need communication. Where there's a void, where there's an absence of accurate information, there becomes discontent. And it was a very difficult, and it is a very difficult situation. There are communities pitched against communities. There are difficulties for politicians of all sides in the last few years in relation to this matter. People are frustrated. People are disappointed. People are angry. People have seen their homes crumble with no hope of getting them. And it's a very, very difficult situation for everyone involved. So I think we need to progress this legislation. I hope that you will respond in a fair manner to amendments that come, because it doesn't all go well for this government and the previous one. Most amendments that come to this House on any matter are rejected. Most ministers come into this House, we've seen it in the last three weeks, they read bits of paper, and they tell you, thank you for your contribution, but sorry, you know, I can't deal with it. And I don't think that's a respectful way to deal with the upper house, quite frankly. And I think it's really important that if you're reasonable and fair and come halfway to addressing some of these amendments, I think we'll progress this bill well. I don't doubt your commitment to it. I don't doubt your officials' commitment to it. But please use the time to communicate well the progress. And because that's what people want. When you go up and you see houses being built and you see people on the ground moving into homes, it gives you hope. I've been there. I've walked around the place. I've met with people. I've sat with them. I've listened to their stories. They are deeply frustrated. They are deeply hurt. And they're having a bob in their pocket, to put it right. They expect the state to step in. And remember, it was light-touch regulation or no regulation that allowed this situation to happen. We would not be in this situation if we had proper controls and systems to prevent what has happened. So what I say to you, communicate well and please, please engage in a meaningful way in the amendments. And I believe we can progress this legislation. I think there's a pathway here through what you've set out in this bill to remedy the situation, to give confidence. I know it's going to be slow. I know it's going to be costly. And I know it's going to be challenging. But together, we can make a difference for the people that live there. Thank you.