The government’s blatant discrimination against all rural defective homeowners is shameful, says The Rural Independent Group – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

The government’s blatant discrimination against all rural defective homeowners is shameful, says The Rural Independent Group




The glaring unfairness in approving a fully-funded remediation scheme for defective apartments in Dublin, while providing a partly-funded scheme for defective homes across rural Ireland is blatant governmental discrimination against struggling rural communities and homeowners, according to the Rural Independent TDs.

Speaking from Tipperary, the Leader of the Rural Independent Group, Deputy Mattie Mc Grath, stated:

“This week’s cabinet decision to provide a 100 percent fully-funded remediation scheme for apartments in Dublin, though welcome, is a real slap in the face for at least 7,500 defective and structurally damaged homeowners across rural Ireland, who are left to accept a partly-funded alternative.”

“The government has disingenuously claimed that the mica redress scheme is a 100 percent redress scheme, but truthfully, it is not. For instance, the maximum grant aid package in reality, at best, will be around 90 percent for mica-impacted rural homeowners.

“However, with foundations senselessly excluded from the current mica scheme by the government, the reality is that most homeowners will only receive approximately 60 or 70 percent redress. This means depleted families are being forced to pay tens of thousands of euros to repair their crumbling homes.”

“For instance, this week, we have received news from one mica-impacted homeowner in Donegal who is facing a personal bill of €150,000, when the grant-aid package is incorporated. Therefore, the scheme is far from a 100 percent scheme.”

“It is unethical to treat the victims of building defects differently. A defect is a defect, no matter what the cause or location. All victims deserve equality, justice, and 100 percent redress.”

“The defective concrete block scandal, just like the defective apartment failure, was not caused by homeowners, but by years of failed state regulatory oversight.”

“Thus, it is reprehensible for the government to approve higher levels of redress to repair homes in urban or city areas over a lower payment level in rural areas. This represents blatant discrimination against rural families and homeowners, who have endured more than twelve years of pain and suffering already.”

“Families across Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Sligo, Limerick, Tipperary, and inevitably in other counties as new cases of homes impacted by mica and pyrrhotite emerge, are being treated appallingly.”

“It is bitterly cruel for the government to continue placing such stress on these families, with the pressure making many mentally and physically unwell, as they are forced to live in homes that are structurally dangerous and full of black mold and dampness. It is triply unsafe, unfit, and unhealthy. ”

“The government’s double standards on this issue translate to second-class treatment for impacted rural homeowners. It represents disgusting behaviour and undermines the principle of a true republic,” concluded Deputy Mc Grath.

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