The defective concrete blocks situation is “like a cancer”, according to Letterkenny Councillor Ciaran Brogan, who has spoken in defence of the Housing Minister.
Letterkenny-Milford councillors held a frank discussion this week regarding confidence in Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.
Independent Cllr Michael McBride proposed a vote of no confidence in the Minister, to which Fianna Fáil Cllr Brogan said that “Mica is much too serious an issue to be playing politics with.”
Cllr McBride’s motion was voted down when Cllr Brogan moved a counter-motion to say that the municipal district has confidence in Minister Darragh O’Brien and wants to continue to work with the council and officials to get a scheme that works for the needs of homeowners.
Cllr McBride said that people are at their wits’ end with the defective concrete blocks scheme. The scheme was delayed again this week due to operational issues.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting Cllr McBride said: “In a few short months people will be taking their families back in for another winter in homes that are not fit for purpose.
“I think it’s an absolute disgrace that we are the elected members that walk through the people every day and we have no answers for them. If you are a TD or Senator you spent a lot of time in Dublin but people expect us to have the answers.”
Cllr McBride said his disillusions with the Minister also stem from performance in public and social housing.
“As far as I am concerned we are living on promises,” he said.
“I thought long and hard about taking this motion today, this is nothing personal to any councillor, I’m doing this today for all people with mica.”
Cllr McBride was supported by Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry McMonagle, who expressed his frustration at the delay in the new defective blocks regulations.
Cllr McMonagle said: “We are a rich country, yet we have 12,000 people homeless and people on the streets. We are helping and supporting refugees, and rightly so, and they are living on the street in tents.
“If we look at it from a Donegal perspective, we are not a priority and we are slipping down the ladder.
“For Donegal, I don’t think he (Minister O’Brien) has delivered.”
Cllr Ciaran Brogan commented that the motion was “not worth the paper it is written on” as the Municipal District lacks the power to get a Minister to resign. He said that a lot of work is taking place and the Housing Minister is keen to change the original redress scheme.
“We all know that the 90/10 scheme wasn’t suiting the homeowners. Minister O’Brien came into office as part of the new government, and after visiting Donegal he set about changing the scheme and bringing in a new scheme and that, as we know, takes time for legislation to go through,” Cllr Brogan said.
Independent councillor John O’Donnell said he would not be associated with the no-confidence motion, adding that it would be a wrong message to send to the Minister that is funding the council’s housing plans and acquisitions.
Fianna Fáil councillor Liam Blaney also disagreed with the no-confidence proposal and pointed out the ongoing progress on housing in Donegal. He highlighted Donegal County Council’s announcement last month on the acquisition of two large sites in Letterkenny with a view to building in excess of 300 new homes.
Cllr Brogan pointed out that the current defective blocks scheme has 1,300 applications processed to the value of € 14 million, as well as two liaison officers employed to support homeowners.
Cllr Blaney asked: “What is plan B? Take the Minister out and put in another. How long would it take to get them briefed?
“We are doing our best to try and get as much as we can out of this (Defective Concrete Block Scheme) before it is announced.”
Cllr Brogan’s counter motion of confidence was passed with seven votes to two. Councillors in favour of the motion were: Cllr Ciaran Brogan, Cllr Liam Blaney, Cllr John O’Donnell, Cllr Pauric McGarvey, Cllr Donal Coyle, Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh and Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly. Cllr Michael McBride and Cllr Gerry McMonagle voted against. Cllr Kevin Bradley was not present for the vote.
