Sir, – Sadly Stephen O'Byrnes seems out of touch with the real issues facing the homeowners with mica when he states "Mr McHugh and other west of Ireland TDs seem hell bent on burdening the wider taxpaying public with a blank cheque commitment, running to many billions" (Letters, November 12th).
Mr Byrnes seeks to place the emphasis on the cost of everything in a full redress scheme as opposed to the value of fully supporting those families with mica in their properties.
The reality of the mica scandal is that homeowners did nothing wrong; they were let down by governments past and present, and in seeking 100 per cent redress, their leaders appear to me, not to be seeking a full bailout, but for the Government to do its duty and protect its citizens. The Government can do this by accepting responsibility for this debacle and begin to build trust with the homeowners. To do this they need to accept that homeowners must receive total costs including alternative accommodation and other costs so that their situation can be put right. This is not blank-cheque territory, but does require careful planning and costing, which is why it is important to start immediately.
On the same day as Mr O’Byrnes’ letter, The Irish Times carried a report with the headline “New building standards regulator to ensure mica cases not repeated”.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
This is an admission by the establishment that the responsibility for putting the mica scandal right rests with government. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN HANRAHAN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.