Homeowners on the defective concrete blocks scheme are calling for answers as technical problems further delay their chances of fixing their homes.
There has been an issue with the online portal for applicants since the end of 2023, leaving homeowners unable to upload invoices or receive payments.
This leaves hundreds of applicants unable to pay contractors.
A new portal is expected within a week, says Cllr Martin McDermott, chair of the council’s Defective Block Redress Committee.
However, the latest delay has caused stress for homeowners who are on a time limit set by legislation.
“It’s just one thing after another, it’s an absolute catastrophe,” said one affected homeowner.
“Some of us are just getting started with our builders and now there’s a hurdle at the first step.
“We are crying out for answers while the suppliers are emailing for payment.”
Joe Morgan, affected homeowner and campaigner, said he has been forced to use savings to try and keep their contractor on the job.
“You can imagine after all the stress and pressure of going through the scheme and mountains of administration, thinking you were free to make a move on remediation, now we are under extreme pressure to pay invoices,” he said.
Joe first realised there was an issue in December when he went to upload his first invoice.
“The contractor has been good, but their goodwill has got a time limit because they need to get paid. They have supplies to pay for too. I’ve been pulling at savings to try and drip feed him a little bit, but at the end of the day, unless that capability exists, he is not going to be able to maintain the works.
“It adds more pressure and strain to what should be a simple case of submitting an invoice and getting reimbursed so you can keep contractors going.
“The council have said we can email in the necessary documentation, but I believe there will be a backlog.”
Joe added: “The biggest concern is a local contractor has six defective concrete houses active at the minute. He was due to commit to a seventh, but said he couldn’t take on more work because they have already built up too much debt.
“The homeowner in the seventh house had already moved out and they are now paying rent and a mortgage for an indefinite period. The contractor says that, with the six he has active, he probably has only two or three weeks to keep them going.”
Joe said the lack of communication from Donegal County Council has brought more strain to people who are under mounting financial pressure.
“There needs to be regular communiqué for homeowners. There’s no point in putting councillors out to explain what is going on, they are not administering the scheme.”
Donegal Daily has contacted Donegal County Council for an update.
