Midlands North-West MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan says changes made to an EU Commission report on defective blocks in Donegal must be reverted immediately.
The changes were proposed by the EPP, the group that Fine Gael is a part of in the European Parliament.
These changes to the report would add suggestions that would give protections to Governments if a similar situation with defective blocks happened again within an EU country.
According to MEP Flanagan, the EPP changes would include removing the following from the EU report on defective blocks: “In long term prospective, the European Commission should examine the gaps in the appropriate legal framework at EU level and propose legislative initiatives in order to provide more effective market surveillance over construction products.”
In a statment, Flanagan said that “the proposed amendment from the EPP calls for this text to be deleted, which would substantially undermine the long-term effectiveness of the report.”
He also states that another amendment would add the concept of making “force majeure” an out for the Irish government in regards to the current defective blocks crisis.
“This is deceptively untrue and highly damaging to those seeking redress,” Flanagan said.
Continuing, the MEP stated that “Force Majeure refers to factors beyond our control or ‘acts of God’, there was nothing in this that was beyond our control, the authorities that should have ensured that standards were met.”
“(They) looked the other way instead of doing their job. Continued lack of enforcement, an underfunded and understaffed market surveillance authority and continued nonchalance from the government is the reason for the current situation, it is disingenuous in the extreme to try to insinuate otherwise.”
“It is equally disingenuous for elected representatives to visit affected homeowners and to promise them help and support for the camera, while in the background work to weaken and undermine a report that is highlighting their difficulties and proposing solutions for remedial works.”
In closing, Flanagan called on Fine Gael MEPs to take action and remove these amendments tabled by their party “as a matter of urgency.”
