Members of the European Parliament Petition Committee have this morning voted through a report on the defective blocks crisis in Ireland, calling for the redress scheme to be expedited and with reduced red tape.
The report detailed last year’s European Parliament fact-finding mission on the use of defective blocks in construction in Ireland.
A key development today saw a controversial reference to a ‘force majeure nature’ of the crisis dropped. There were fears that this wording would label the crisis as an Act of God, stripping liability from parties for their failures.
The report contains several recommendations on redress. It says the scheme must be improved in order to address the concerns expressed by homeowners, widening its scope, reducing red tape, speeding up the progress of the process and involving financial institutions.
The report also recommends that Irish authorities hold a public enquiry to gain a clearer picture when it comes to identifying and holding accountable the persons and entities responsible for this situation.
Fine Gael Maria Walsh MEP said: “the onus is now on the Irish Government to implement them as a matter of urgency. The Government must acknowledge the failings of the current scheme, and provide 100% redress for the families and homeowners affected.”
“I believe the report approved today in Brussels is an accurate reflection of what we experienced during our mission and provides a clear picture of the experiences the homeowners and families devastated by the mica and pyrite crisis have been faced with.
“The current scheme is not sufficient and needs to be reworked. Today’s report reflects this by highlighting the need to include costs of new foundations, provisional accommodation and rental costs.
“I am happy to see the wording that the crisis has a ‘force majeure nature’ was dropped from Amendment 10, meaning that there is no reference to ‘force majeure’ in the report, as I had called for.”
Independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan expressed deep satisfaction with today’s outcome.
He said: “This has been the culmination of three years’ work he said, from initial contact with the petitioners, bringing them to Brussels to make a presentation at the Petitions Committee, following this up with initiatives to keep the issue to the fore and lobbying the Petitions Committee to come to Ireland to see the situation first hand and produce the report.
“The report is vindication of the tireless campaigning of affected homeowners and validation of the unprecedented situation they find themselves in he said, and starkly sets out the severe failures at the national level to address the issue.”
Mr Flanagan paid tribute to the determination, dedication and professionalism of the campaigners and said it was “a privilege to be in a position to give them a voice”.
Following its adoption by the EU Parliament the report will be forwarded to the competent local, regional and national authorities of Ireland and to the European Commission.
Maria Walsh MEP said: “I will be sending the report to Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, as well as An Taoiseach Leo Varadker to ensure that they are aware of the official position of Parliament and ask how they intend to enact the recommendations within the report.”