Donegal Deputy Charles Ward has hit out at Taoiseach Michael Martin claiming 69 housing completions under the defective blocks rebuilding scheme is not a success.
Deputy Ward applied further pressure on the Taoiseach over upcoming defective concrete legislation.
The Independent TD yesterday questioned the Taoiseach at Leader’s Questions today regarding the upcoming Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill.
The Taoiseach has confirmed the Bill will be published this spring and will address matters such as ‘the application of increased scheme rates and the overall cap, along with some other technical amendments’.
Deputy Ward accused the Taoiseach of being disingenuous and attempting to ‘mislead the public’ by not acknowledging that only 69 homes have been fully remediated since the introduction of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.
He said “There is a big difference between commencement and completion, Taoiseach, you can’t live in a commencement. 69 completions since 2022 is not a success and it’s about time you came to terms with your failure.”
The 100% Redress Party TD said that the upcoming Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill has the potential to ‘right many wrongs for impacted homeowners and make this scheme fair, workable and science led’.
He asked the Taoiseach to work with the 100% redress party and to engage with impacted homeowners when drafting the upcoming legislation.
Deputy Ward said: ‘Drafting this bill requires joined-up thinking, and ensuring that we are all working off the same facts, and towards the same goal.’
