Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has called on Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, to immediately apologise to mica campaigners.
Deput Doherty made the call after it emerged a Principal Officer within his department said in an email that one campaigner ‘just wants to cause a scene’.
The email was sent to mica campaigners in error and Doherty said it is an example of the disregard that the government and officials have shown towards the 100% mica redress campaign since the start.
Speaking today, Teachta Doherty said: “These comments are despicable. It is unacceptable that Department officials are communicating with each other in this fashion, showing utter contempt and disregard for the plight of the Mica campaigners.
“These campaigners have shown nothing but courage since the start. They have been caused to undertake a national campaign in the midst of the most unimaginable hardship with their homes literally crumbling around them.”
Deputy Doherty said the government had ‘delayed, dithered and dallied’ with the redress scheme despite calls for them to commit and implement the 100% redress.
“The drawn out nature of the entire process, coupled with comments such as these, is evidence of the disregard that the Government and Department officials have shown towards the Mica campaign since the start.
“I, along with my colleague Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD, are calling on Minister O’Brien to apologise on behalf of his Department for these comments which are hurtful and insulting. Better again, following his apology he should stop the delay and introduce the 100% redress scheme immediately.”
