Deputy Charlie McConalogue says Government delays in completing the MICA expert panel report are totally unacceptable.
The expert panel was established to investigate the presence of Mica and defective blocks in Donegal homes.
Deputy McConalogue says the Government is allowing the MICA issue to drag out longer than necessary as previous deadlines have not been met.
In December 2015 Deputy McConalogue received correspondence from the then Minister for Housing Paudie Coffey stating that under the terms of reference a report was to be submitted by the expert panel by 31st May 2016. Minister Coffey extended the panel’s investigations by a further six months last April.
Deputy McConalogue said, “The delay in finalising the work of the expert group and publishing its findings is simply unacceptable. Minister English must give the report his immediate and proper consideration and not allow it to sit on a desk.
“Thousands of homes are thought to have been built with defective Mica blocks, which have now resulted in major structural problems. The families whose homes are affected by Mica are stuck in a very stressful situation and Ministerial intervention is needed in a bid to resolve it.
“Many families have been living in unstable houses for years without any resolution in sight. We have seen a similar situation in Dublin and some commuter counties where pyrite has rendered many homes uninhabitable. The Government set up a compensation scheme to deal with that issue and I believe a similar scheme needs to be implemented for homeowners in Donegal.
“This issue needs immediate action and I have called on Minister English to provide assistance as a matter of urgency and set a date for the completion of the panel’s report. It is a living nightmare for those families whose homes are affected and the Government need to address the issue immediately.”
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