A Midlands North-West MEP has welcomed the recommendations made in an EU report on the defective blocks crisis.
It’s after a group of EU representatives visited the area last year to see the impact of the crisis first-hand.
Sinn Fein MEP Chris McManus was one of the EU reps who visited County Donegal last October to help form the EU report.
He says that a requirement for 100 percent redress for homeowners must be added to the final recommendations.
“Alongside my colleague Sandra Haughey I recently met with Mary O’Regan at her home in Manorcunningham. Her home, like many others, will eventually have to be demolished, and as a pensioner she will not be in a position to contribute towards the costs of rebuilding her home,” MEP McManus said in a statement.
“This highlights the cruelty of the Government’s decision to deny 100% redress to homeowners affected by defective blocks and the flaws that exist in the Defective Concrete Block Grant Scheme. Nobody should be left fearing homelessness, not least a pensioner who has worked hard all their life.”
“Last October I took part in a visit to Ireland by the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee, which examined the defective blocks scandal. A draft report from the visit has been published and its recommendations are welcome. However it is vital that the EU hold the Irish Government to account to ensure that these recommendations are implemented.”
“Our view in Sinn Féin is that a 100% redress and remediation scheme, delivered by a strengthened Pyrite Resolution Board rather than the sub-standard current grant scheme that will deny redress to most homeowners, must be delivered. I will be submitting amendments to that effect to the draft report and I hope that they are adopted.”
“Homeowners in Donegal and across the State affected by this scandal deserve 100% redress and I will continue to fight for this.”
You can view the full EU Parliament recommendations on the defective blocks scandal here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PETI-AM-758950_EN.pdf
