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MAG cautiously welcome €20m Budget
allocation
15.10.19
THE Mica Action Group (MAG)
cautiously welcome the Budget allocation of 20
million euro for 2020 as announced last week, to
enable repair of the homes of those affected by the
defective blocks issue across the county. This will
be added to the 20 million euro that was unspent for
2019, resulting in a budget of 40 million euro to
kick off this scheme. However, MAG believe that this
is not nearly enough to get all of the homes fixed;
where Government estimates put the number of those
affected to be in the region of 5000 homes.
Ann Owens Chairperson of the MAG said:
“Over the course of the last number of months, MAG
asked the Department of Housing for a significant
increase in the Budget for 2020 to enable work to
get underway to fix the homes of those affected by
the mica issue. With the allocation of an additional
20 million euro, our initial thoughts were that this
was not nearly enough to fix all of the homes
affected.
“However, we have sought clarity on this issue and
today received confirmation that should this money
be spent throughout 2020, we are in position to seek
further draw down of funds from the Department of
Housing to continue this work over the course of
this year. This is what happened in the case of
Pyrite and Minister Damien English has confirmed MAG
are in position to seek the same treatment to apply
to homeowners in Donegal. |
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Members of the Mica Action Group meeting
with Minister Damien English on July 13, 2018. |
“Currently we have over
1400 homeowners registered with MAG, however we
believe the number to be significantly larger than
this. It is imperative that affected homeowners
continue to register in order for us to continue to
exert pressure on Government and to illustrate the
huge scale of this problem.
“Importantly, the level of the Budget allocated
becomes significant only when the actual scheme is
opened. Last week it was one year since we received
the news that redress was approved by Cabinet. It is
very disappointing and frustrating therefore to
think that a year on we are still effectively no
further forward and few details of the scheme have
been provided and importantly the applications
process is still not open.
“It is time to give this issue the urgency it
deserves. We have had enough procrastination and
delay and quite honestly homeowners are at the end
of their tether. On a daily basis we are contacted
by homeowners who tell us how their homes are
deteriorating at an alarming rate. Over the weekend
one of these families posted a video on our Facebook
page showing the blocks in such bad condition now
that they simply disintegrate in the home owner’s
hands.
“This situation is a catastrophe waiting to happen
and the Government is putting homeowners lives at
risk and in an impossible position as they have
nowhere else to go.
“There is no single bigger issue than this in the
county at the minute and it is time that those
tasked with finalising this scheme and with its
roll-out, treated this with the immediate action it
deserves. We therefore call on the Department of
Housing and Donegal County Council to stop pointing
the finger at each other and to just get on with the
job of getting the homes of families who are
desperately affected by this issue, fixed as soon as
possible." |
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