MEPs from across Europe will begin a fact-finding mission in Donegal today to prevent MICA happening in other countries.
A total of eight MEPs will spend the week in the county where they will be joined by Irish politicians.
They will also meet Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien after visiting houses affected by mica and chatting with homeowners.
The delegation will arrive today and spend three days in Ireland.
Fine Gael MEP Colm Markey said the three-day mission will seek to get a “comprehensive understanding” of how mica blocks came to be used to build houses.
“The delegation will inspect the affected buildings, meet with homeowners who are impacted, engage with experts in the field and hold discussions with the Minister for Housing before submitting a comprehensive report to the European Commission,” he said.
“The visit sends out a strong message that the EU Parliament is listening and engaging with people directly affected by this crisis on the ground.”
He said it is “crucial” that there is “straightforward access” to the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.
The delegation includes MEPs Dolors Montserrat (Spain); Yana Toom (Estonia); Sira Rego (Spain); Tatjana Ždanoka (Latvia).
They will be joined by Irish MEPs, including Mr Markey, Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh, Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Sinn Féin’s Chris MacManus.
The Government’s mica redress scheme could cost the taxpayer as much as €4bn, after the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI) said the cost of rebuilding one home has increased by €50,000.
Rebuilding the average four-bed rural bungalow in Donegal and Mayo would now cost €366,000.
Around 7,500 homes are affected by the defective blocks and will need to be rebuilt once demolished.
