A senior council official who said that some homeowners are deferring defective block scheme applications due to ‘lifestyle choices’ said he did not mean to make a misrepresentation.
Michael McGarvey, Director of Services Donegal County Council, asked to “totally take back” comments made during an Oireachtas Joint Committee yesterday.
While discussing challenges causing application delays, he commented that some homeowners whose houses were not at immediate risk were choosing to wait years to progress with the scheme.
In his clarification, Mr McGarvey said: “I did not mean to misrepresent anything. We empathise and try and work with those who are going through very tough times. We are convinced we can overcome some of the operation issues we have experienced and will continue to do that.”
The earlier comments were made when Deputy Paul McAuliffe TD sought to identify challenges that are causing delays in homeowner applications.
Mr McGarvey said: “People are looking for peace of mind. In some cases once they have been approved for an option if their homes are not at risk, some people are happy to wait a year, five years, with kids going to college etc.”
Michael McGarvey, Director of Services Donegal County Council.
When asked if the financial burden is a factor in delayed applications, he said: “I would turn that around, it might be a lifestyle choice in some places. There are some homes in pressing need of remediation but there are some homes not. Once people have the peace of mind, they are making a lifestyle choice in some cases.”
Deputy McAuliffe challenged the phrase: “I don’t think it accurately reflects the position that the people are in.” The Dublin TD said that the general unhappiness with the scheme needs to be examined to determine why people have not yet made an application and why.
Later, Padraig MacLochlainn offered Mr McGarvey an opportunity to clarify his earlier phrasing.
“Would you agree that most people in Donegal are telling us that they cannot afford to access the scheme, because it will cost tens of thousands of euro and that’s the real reason why people are not applying in big numbers,” Deputy Mac Lochlainn asked.
Mr McGarvey said that some people do defer the work “and that is all”, adding: “I certainly did not mean to give the impression in any way. We made that message clear in Donegal with any of our engagements with any of the groups that our focus is on the homeowners and trying to make this as simple as possible.”
The Mica Action Group (MAG) criticised the remarks as “inexcusable,” emphasising the significant challenges they face in the DCB Scheme, stating that the lack of infrastructure around it is failing them.
Angela Ward, MAG PRO
In a letter to Mr McGarvey, they asked him to apologise for any offence caused and offered to meet to share “a fuller understanding of the horrendous circumstances experienced by affected homeowners if that would assist.”
The MAG committee explained several reasons why homeowners cannot move forward.
“Homeowners cannot apply to the scheme because they are locked out financially,” they said.
“Homeowners are not applying to the scheme because they have no faith in the IS465 recommendations.
“Homeowners are not applying because they cannot find suitable alternative accommodation; for those with a disabled member of their family this is nigh on impossible.
“Older homeowners or those dealing with serious illness cannot apply as they do not have the physical and/or financial resources to deal with the demands of the scheme.”
MAG Chair Angela Ward questioned who would choose to live in a potentially dangerous home.
“Who would make a lifestyle choice to remain in a house where a chimney or a gable could fall on any one of their family?” she asked.
“Who would choose to have their child on asthma medication and in and out of hospital because of black mould?
“To stay up all night spinning towels and emptying buckets because their front room is flooded?”