A cross-party delegation of elected county councillors from Donegal will descend on Dublin tomorrow for a public protest outside Leinster House.
The councillors were invited by the Mica Action Group to add their voices to the demand for equality of 100% redress for the thousands of victims of defective concrete homes.
The deputation, to include councillors from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, Labour and Independents, will protest at the gates of Leinster House from 12noon on Tuesday.
(Featured photo: Representatives of Defective Blocks homeowners Sharon O’Connor, Paddy Diver, Yvonne Shevlin, Lisa Hone and Ray Doherty at a protest at the County House in Lifford in November. (NW Newspix))
Defective concrete block homeowners have been growing increasingly frustrated by the delayed redress scheme, which, when it goes live, will not deliver 100% to the majority of homeowners due to caps and exclusions.
Their anger was worsened by the Government announcing a 100% fully funded, end to end managed scheme for victims of the “Celtic Tiger” Defective Apartments.
Lisa Hone, Chair of the Mica Action Group states “We are very glad for the apartment owners and tenants who need defects fixed to ensure their homes are safe and habitable. They have endured much anguish as a result of living in a defective apartment and nobody understands the torment it brings more than the victims of defective concrete homes. We are, however, astonished at inequality between the schemes. Many of the terms defective concrete blocks campaigners fought so hard for and were given a flat No from Government are part of the defective apartment redress scheme.
“Whether it be defective apartments, defective concrete homes or the Leinster Pyrite issue, all affected find themselves in such dire and distressing situations for the same reason – State governance which should have protected them, failed persistently and nationally for years exposing thousands unknowingly to defective products and homes which were destined to fail.”
The Mica Action Group has criticised the years of ‘resistance and obfuscation’ from successive governments to acknowledge the reality, scale and complexity of the issues. This, they said, has aggravated a humanitarian crisis.
“By its very nature, defective concrete pervades the entire house. The rebuild process is arguably the one of the most complicated, financially demanding and emotionally charged for those affected due to the loss of an entire family home.
“Despite this, those affected, including the most vulnerable, are advised by Government Ministers to “just get on with it” which displays an utter disconnect and disregard for the life shattering reality families are facing into.”
Ms Hone said the defective concrete block crisis is a catastrophe which goes beyond party politics.
“We urge all local and national representatives to recognise the gravity of the issues and demand equality of a true 100% redress and urgent resolutions to allow families to escape this unending nightmare.”
