Independent TD, Thomas Pringle, today raised with the Taoiseach claims that homeowners’ engineers recommendations for defective blocks remediation were altered on a Donegal County Council-operated portal.
The allegations were made on ‘The Ditch’ news website.
Addressing the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in the Dáil, Deputy Pringle said The Ditch has revealed further controversy surrounding ‘your failing defective blocks scheme’.
“It has emerged that in more than 20 cases, the Donegal County Council-operated portal had altered the recommendations of the homeowners’ engineers,” Deputy Pringle said.
“What I find interesting, or perhaps more appropriately described as disturbing, is that in each case the alteration which Donegal County Council claim as ‘a minor technical glitch’ resulted in the original engineering recommendation aligning with a downgraded option recommended by the Housing Agency appointed engineer’s desktop appraisals. It would be naive in my mind to attribute this to mere coincidence.”
The deputy raised the issue during Leaders’ Questions.
In his response, the Taoiseach said he will ask the Minister for Housing to pursue claims in relation to Donegal County Council with the local authority and revert to Deputy Pringle. The Taoiseach said he would also like clarity in relation to that matter.
The Taoiseach said that the review of IS465 will initially take the form of an extensive amendment to the testing protocol. He said every effort had been made to produce a public consultation draft amendment for quarter three of this year, but now is anticipated that it will be published by quarter 4.
Meanwhile, the The 100% Redress Party said it is ‘outraged and deeply shocked’ by the revelations from The Ditch.
Clarification from Donegal County Council into unauthorised changes is required immediately, a spokesperson for the party said.
“A full investigation into this scandal and immediate accountability for those responsible is required, anything less is unacceptable. The 100% Redress Party will not stand by while families are denied the proper repairs and respect they deserve.”
We have asked the council for a response.
