The Redress Focus Groups for defective block homeowners in Donegal have ceased operations, citing a lack of government support.
The committee was established by a group of defective block homeowners in 2023 to help victims navigate issues with their homes and the redress scheme.
The founders were Buncrana-based Roisin Gallagher, Joy Beard, Brenda Tierney Joyce and Claire McDaid. Membership grew into a committee and a series of meetings took place addressing various issues.
One of their principal aims was to create a support hub offering practical and emotional help to homeowners, with trained staff providing information, holistic support and advice on rebuilding homes.
However, Chairperson Roisin Gallagher announced this week that their calls for emergency funding for such a hub have gone unanswered.
In a statement, Ms Gallagher expressed her disappointment with responses from Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Joe O’Brien in December. She also called for a state of emergency to be declared by Donegal County Council to acknowledge the scale of the defective blocks crisis.
Ms Gallagher said: “When we appealed for emergency funding last year it was made clear to government departments, local DCC representatives, and to our homeowner liaison John O’Connor that we would not be able to sustain Redress Focus Groups without support beyond Christmas and this was at a push. We have pushed on but have come as far as we possibly can.”
To achieve its goals, the group members said they would need the full support of local and national government, Donegal County Council, local groups, organisations and initiatives, as well as more property owners and volunteers to get behind the groups.
Ms Gallagher added that the group, as it stands, cannot sustain itself at the current level without more support and resources, but there is hope for a return to action another time.
“We have all the necessary requirements now in place to set up as a charity so that would have been the next step but we stop here as we are not in a position to do this without the support and resources we need,” she said.
She added: “The potential to make change happen together was huge but all of us involved can hold our heads up with pride and say we gave it our all, we gave the true meaning of 100% and tried our very best.
“We encourage any volunteers working together on projects to keep going if they can. If by some chance we get the help needed to continue we can all come together once again to make change happen together.”
