Deputy Charles Ward has told the Dáil that Donegal people are looking to move on with their lives and be rid of the burden that the defective concrete crisis has put on them and their families.
“It’s exhausting to live this crisis 24/7, 365, year in, year out,” the 100% Redress Party TD said.
The Donegal TD was speaking on a motion regarding Legislative and Structural Reforms to Accelerate Housing Delivery.
“The failure of this government, and previous governments, to deliver housing is a failure of public policy,” he told the Dáil.
“So many young people in my constituency of Donegal face an impossible situation as house prices soar and rents are unaffordable and unavailable. It is a disgrace that they are unable to afford to live in the very towns and the very communities they grew up in.”
Deputy Ward claimed that 2,600 houses a year needed to be built in the north west.
“The defective concrete crisis has exacerbated the housing crisis massively in the North West, and targeted measures need to be introduced if we want to meet Donegal’s housing demand”.
He also said that he knows of houses in Donegal that are being built with defective blocks to this day.
Deputy Ward highlighted the fact that the defective concrete issue is causing a severe mental health crisis in the country.
“Recent studies show that the rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation among people living in defective houses were comparable to those seen in disaster-stricken and displaced populations. This is incredibly concerning and warrants an emergency response. It is time for this government to wake up and take drastic action or else this crisis will only continue to get worse”.
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