Mica reaction: ‘If they are not going to look after us it will never be forgotten’

Donegal homeowners affected by mica have criticised fresh Government proposals to address the defective building materials, believing that despite assurances they will still face bills to have their properties fixed.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have also been warned their TDs will face a backlash at the next general election unless further amendments to the scheme are taken seriously and adopted.

The Mica Action Group, which claims to represent about 4,000 of 7,000 homeowners across Co Donegal, said despite offers of 100 per cent redress up to a cap of €420,000, those affected would still be left with bills.

Spokesman Michael Doherty said the system to calculate rebuild costs included in the proposals was inadequate and would lead to a shortfall on the actual cost.

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“Homeowners through no fault of their own are going to be out tens of thousands of euros, it’s just a matter of how many tens of thousands,” he said.

According to Mr Doherty proposals put forward by the group that would see a compromise on reduced sizes of rebuilt homes to plug the gap in building costs, and leave owners free of any need to borrow, were ultimately “turned down flat” by the Government.

With little satisfaction following the unveiling of Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien’s changes on Tuesday, campaigners are now looking to a “compressed” one-day pre-legislative scrutiny session later this month for an opportunity to have amendments tabled.

Mr Doherty said that will take place later in June and if no remedy follows at that stage, they will place their hopes on a new government.

“They either have it done right by then or we give up on them,” Mr Doherty said. “Because this will have been the second shot at this by this Government and there’s no way we are allowing them a third.”

The Department of Housing did not immediately respond to requests for comment on any pre-legislative scrutiny plans.

[ Mica: €2.7bn enhanced scheme agreed by Ministers ]

Paddy Diver, a prominent Donegal campaigner, said people were quickly running out of patience due to the toll the mica issue was taking on families.

“This is people [affected] that end up turning to drink; end up turning to depression tablets, end up with broken marriages; end up with suicide, end up with children not in happy homes,” he said.

“The family home is supposed to be a family home, now it’s years since we’ve had a good family home. I think the people deserve for this nightmare and torture to be over.”

Mr Diver also said that left unresolved the mica controversy would have an enduring impact on the electoral appeal of Government parties. “If they are not going to look after us it will never be forgotten.”

In Mayo, even with new proposals, families are said to be frustrated by the delays the ongoing situation is causing in actual remediation.

Independent Cllr Mark Duffy who had advocated for those affected said there was an urgency to find some resolution that would allow more focus on wider housing problems in the county.

“Families have lost a bit of faith throughout this whole process in the powers that be in terms of having to march in the streets in their towns throughout this whole campaign,” he said.

“Families need to be put first and foremost in the centre of this conversation and work back from that as opposed to setting kind of guidelines and parameters.”