McConalogue calls for urgent action on Mica affected homes
Published on: 06 May 2015
Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal Charlie McConalogue is urging the Housing Minister to seriously consider a compensation package for homeowners in Donegal affected by Mica. As many as 2,000 homes are thought to have been built with these defective blocks, which have now resulted in major structural problems. Test results on the affected blocks, commissioned by the Mica Action Group, have been handed over to the Department of the Environment, and a technical analysis is due to be completed shortly.
Deputy McConalogue commented, “It is extremely important that Minister Paudie Coffey acts quickly when he receives the technical analysis on the matter at the end of the month. This report must be given proper consideration and not be allowed to sit on a desk.
“The families whose homes are affected by Mica are stuck in a very stressful situation and Ministerial intervention action is needed in a bid to resolve it. Many have been living in unstable houses for years without any resolution in sight. We have seen a similar situation in Dublin and some commuter counties where pyrite has rendered many homes uninhabitable. The Government set up a compensation scheme to deal with that issue and I believe a similar scheme should be examined for homeowners in Donegal whose houses have been affected by Mica.
“This issue needs immediate action and I have called on the Minister to provide assistance as a matter of urgency. It is imperative that he shows a willingness to engage with homeowners as soon as possible and set up an expert panel to deal with the problem. It is a living nightmare for those families whose homes are affected and the Government need to address the issue immediately”.