Fine Gael General Election candidate John McNulty has welcomed a decision by the Taoiseach to review the Defective Concrete Block Scheme and has called for a dedicated Minister for Home Remediation.
Remediation options for homeowners have already been paused after further scientific evidence showed that phyorrite, causing internal sulphate attack in concrete, is the reason for damaged homes – and not Mica.
Speaking after canvassing with the Taoiseach in Donegal this evening, Mr McNulty welcomed the rapid review a Fine-Gael led government would implement if returned to power.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that my view is that all homes affected by phyorrite need to be demolished and replaced, and that includes the foundations,” said Mr McNulty.
“I welcome the current decision to pause all non-demolition remediation options and I welcome the commitment from Simon Harris to review the entire scheme and include the views of everyone in Donegal.
“The scientific evidence is there, from Ulster University as well as from the recent TG4 documentary, showing the real causes of this crisis. This evidence has also been available in the United States where 35,000 homes in Connecticut have been badly affected.”
Currently homeowners are being given five remediation options with many being downgraded from option 1 (demolition and rebuild) to options like replacing inner and outer leaves of their homes.
Fine Gael election candidate John McNulty
“The downgrading must cease immediately,” said McNulty.
“I have spent a lot of time in Inishowen, Letterkenny, Churchill, Ramelton and Downings/Milford areas and the dogs on the street know the current Government scheme is not fit for purpose.
“The scheme must be amended to ensure full demolition and foundations replacement. In my view there is no need to wait for further scientific study. Every engineer I speak to says this.
“The current IS465 standard being used by the Housing Agency is not fit for purpose. I believe the Department of Housing knows this and the Minister has not been moving fast enough to fix it.
“I am very concerned about the foundations of these homes; with independent scientific reports showing they should be removed. That means that any remediation of homes other than rebuild does not stand up to scrutiny.”
Mr McNulty says he wants to be a voice inside Government after the election, fighting for Donegal homeowners.
“If I am fortunate to be elected, I will campaign to have a Minister dedicated to remediation of defective homes because this issue is going to crop up across the country, whether that’s in Donegal or Clare or in apartments in Leinster. This needs a proper focus so that the angst and heartache for so many families is brought to an end as soon as possible,” said Mr McNulty.
“It’s not just about how the scheme works either. I am also very concerned with the predicament facing homeowners when it comes to financing replacement dwellings. Local campaigners have done amazing work on this. I want to acknowledge their efforts over the past decade. I have spoken with them and what is now clear is that bridging loan finance from banks isn’t coming through due to a lack of Ministerial support. That needs to change too. That’s why we need a Junior Minister working on this full-time so that the Senior Minister can get on with rebuilding the country.”
Mr McNulty added: “I believe we need to end this nightmare for families as quickly as possible. I want to be a TD who will be inside the Government fixing this – and I’d gladly take up any ministerial role doing just that if I were elected.
“I want to thank Taoiseach Simon Harris who has committed to a rapid review of the current scheme in the Fine Gael election manifesto. I want to thank An Taoiseach for visiting Donegal and I want to thank him and his team for accepting my proposal for a rapid review.”
