Senator Pádraig MacLochlainn has said lessons from the building control failures of the past must be learned ahead of any large scale resurgence in construction in the county.
It is understood that the government will be introducing new building control legislation later this year.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said it appears that the construction industry is regaining some momentum and that is a good thing for the economy.
However, Donegal is still reeling from problems resulting from the absence of adequate building control regulations and standards during the construction boom, he added.
The Sinn Fein politician said that before any large scale resurgence of construction in the county, it is important that we have robust standards and controls in place.
“I understand that the government will soon introduce new building control legislation. Sinn Féin will seek to strengthen these new laws as much as possible to protect families from having to endure the terrible problems that have been experienced by so many families in Donegal, Mayo, Dublin and North Leinster”.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said that the current system in operation across the border ensures a high level of protection for homeowners.
“The construction industry in Donegal has been stagnant for ten years yet the building control system remains light years behind the processes currently adopted across the border in the 6 Counties.
“Buying or building a house is the biggest financial event in the lives of so many people so it is vital they are assured of the highest levels of protection. With adequate protections in place homeowners could avoid many, if not all, of the serious issues which have been reported in a large number Donegal homes in recent times.”
