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Mica redress scheme approved by
Cabinet
16.05.18
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AFTER an arduous campaign,
of more than five years, seeking redress for homeowners
in Donegal, today the Mica Action Group (MAG)
welcome the positive news that a mica redress scheme
was finally approved by Cabinet on Tuesday.
On this historic day, MAG congratulate and commend all of the homeowners
in terms of the long campaign for redress. The scheme enables families, affected
by defective blocks, to now start the process of
fixing their homes and moving on with their lives. |
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Members of the Mica Action Group meeting
with Minister Damien English on July 13, 2018. |
Ann Owens Chairperson
on the Mica Action Group said: “It was indeed a
significant day. It was the day that the mica
redress scheme finally crossed the line and was
given the green light at Government level. We, as a
group and along with the many homeowners who have
joined us in this campaign were finally taken
seriously at the highest levels of Government. We
should all take a minute and consider the mammoth
feat that has been accomplished.
“There are aspects of this announcement that are
disappointing; for example the fact that only 20
million euro was allocated to this huge issue across
Donegal and Mayo for this year. However, having
sought clarity from Government yesterday, we have
been given an absolute assurance that this signals a
genuine commitment from Government which will be
evident through a significant increase in the budget
year-on-year from here on in, so that the number of
homes fixed can be significantly ramped up.
“Unfortunately we have not been privy to the details
of the scheme yet, however we have been told that a
team of Senior Civil Servants will travel to Donegal
next week to kick off discussions with Donegal
County Council in order to finalise the details of
the scheme and to make them public (i.e. the
application process etc.). We are told that the
‘worst’ homes will be prioritised and fixed first.
This is great news and given our knowledge of
affected homeowners on the ground, we have asked and
been assured that we will be included in this
prioritisation process and in discussions around the
scheme as a whole, to ensure that those most in need
are dealt with first.
“Some of you may be disappointed that a 10%
percentage per household charge will apply to the
overall cost of repair/replacement of your home. We
too in MAG are disappointed and frustrated. However,
it is important to note that a NIL household charge
would have required new underpinning legislation (as
in the case of pyrite) which would have taken at the
very least a year to bring to the statute book, and
in our opinion may have put this very scheme at
risk. Due to the very progressive nature of this
issue, many homeowners simply do not have the luxury
of time to wait. However we intend to continue to
push for supports (from a number of potential
sources) to be made available to help those in most
need to be able to fix their home.
“Many families affected by this issue have supported
MAG on this campaign. Many have opened their hearts
and their homes to us, to the media and to local and
national Politicians right up to the highest level
of Government, to illustrate the difficulties they
were facing and to share their very personal
stories. Whilst it has been a long and difficult
effort to reach such a landmark decision, MAG has
been humbled to have stood shoulder to shoulder with
so many families on this challenging journey. We
would therefore like to pay tribute to the dignity
and determination of the families who have struggled
and strived over many years to reach this momentous
decision. Indeed, their efforts and strong
determination to see a redress scheme delivered by
the government has provided inspiration to other
people in Ireland and internationally who are facing
structural problems with their homes through no
fault of their own. This campaign could not have
succeeded without them.
“I think it is clear that whilst this is a
significant milestone in the campaign, we are not
there yet. There is still work to do to in order to
keep pressure on Government until every last home is
fixed and that is exactly what we intend to do." |
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