The Minister for Housing has said today that every option is on the table to fix the Mica Redress Scheme.
Minister Darragh O’Brien will meet with homeowners from Donegal and Mayo at 5.30pm today to discuss their request for 100% redress.
Among the requests from Mica Action campaigners are less-restrictive caps on the current scheme, and a guarantee that families who underwent remediation can re-enter the scheme if their internal walls begin to crack.
Minister O’Brien is set to receive the final report from the Defective Blocks Working Group today.
Speaking this morning, he said he plans to bring proposals to improve the scheme to Cabinet within the next week or two weeks.
The monetary cost of the scheme cannot be ignored, he said.
Minister O’Brien told Newstalk Breakfast: “I am looking at measures about how we can get others to contribute, particularity those responsible, we are looking at legal recourse for those responsible for this problem. In the first instance, this State has a moral duty not a legal duty to help citizens that are in real distress. Some of these homes are incredibly badly damaged. We want to be able to show people that there’s a way forward to get their lives back on track. I’m not ruling anything out with regard to how we seek recourse from stakeholders into the future.”
The Minister said he will be working on proposals for Cabinet in the coming days.
“Everything is on the table. There is some real issues about upfront prohibitive costs which we can address – rental accommodation and many things including caps,” he said.
The proposals will be brought before the Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure & Reform, Paschal Donohoe and the Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath.
Mica families are planning a second protest in Dublin on 8th October if 100% redress is not delivered by Minister Darragh O’Brien.
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Jack Murray said: “I sincerely hope that the government will be true to its word and fulfill the commitment of the Dail vote in support of 100% redress and deliver equal treatment to the people of Dublin who were affected by pyrite.
“Minister O’Brien knows that the once forgotten people of Donegal will be watching, and organising to march on Dublin once again.”
