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Pringle describes Taoiseach’s defective blocks statement as ‘an insult to the people of Donegal’
- Updated: 12th November 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called the Taoiseach’s commitment to a review of the defective blocks redress scheme after the election “an insult to the people of Donegal”.
Deputy Pringle said: “They’ve had years to do this. Affected homeowners have been telling the government for years what’s wrong with the scheme and how it can be fixed and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have not listened to them.
“And Simon Harris comes to Donegal just weeks before the election and suddenly promises a comprehensive review of the redress scheme, taking on board the issues people mention – if Fine Gael are back in government after the election.
“Where has Fine Gael been these past years? This should have happened already, not something offered as a campaign promise.
“This is an insult to the people of Donegal and all homeowners affected by defective blocks.
“I fully endorse The People’s Document, which Donegal campaigners presented earlier this year, and was the only Donegal TD to do so. Campaigners have given us a road map to proper 100% redress and the necessary steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
“They are still waiting for a proper 100% redress scheme.
“People affected by defective blocks have been way ahead of government through this inexcusably overlong process. They have told the government time and time again why the scheme won’t work for them, and what is needed to fix it. We have to make sure the light-touch regulation of successive governments is a thing of the past, by putting in proper standards, enforcement and accountability.
“Affected homeowners have dragged Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael kicking and screaming to even get to the point the redress scheme is at now, and it is still not fit for purpose.
“Instead, since the scheme was introduced, Fianna Gael and Fianna Fáil have responded with drip-fed changes to one inadequate scheme after another that still keep households in Donegal and other parts of the country in homes that are crumbling around them.
“This crisis is further exacerbated by the entire country’s housing crisis, as families have trouble finding alternative accommodation while their homes are being rebuilt. Another example of the government’s failed Housing for All policy.
“We need a government that puts people’s safety and well-being ahead of cost. Families across Donegal and other parts of the country deserve a government that will deliver 100% redress and ensure this is never allowed to happen again. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have shown they are not up to the task,” he said.
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