Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has welcomed the publication of the Report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing. 

The Dublin Mid-West TD has called on government to move quickly to establish a Celtic Tiger era defects redress scheme.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“I welcome the publication of the Report of the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing. It makes for sobering reading.

“It is 11 years since the residents of Priory Hall were evacuated from their homes on foot of a court order due to fire safety defects.

“For 11 long years, owners of defective properties have lived with fire safety, water ingress and other structural defects.

“Many of those homeowners have been left paying huge bills to fix defects they did not create.

“Others, unable to afford to remediate their property have had years of sleepless nights wondering how safe the home they are sleeping in is.

“The detailed report published today estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 properties could have some category of Celtic Tiger era defect. The possible cost could range from €1.5bn to €2.5bn.

“Government must move quickly to establish a Celtic Tiger era building defects redress scheme. The details of the scheme must be included in September’s budget announcement.

“The quickest and most effective way to do this would be to repurpose the Pyrite Resolution Board to deal with structural defects. This would mean a scheme would be open for applications from owners’ management companies in 2023.

“It should also ensure that any scheme is open to both retrospective and future remediation claims. Additional funding must be provided in Budget 2023 for this beyond the €20m allocated for the Pyrite Resolution Board.

“The remediation scheme must also include houses, as well as apartments and duplexes and properties owned by Approved Housing Bodies.

“Minister O’Brien now has a unique opportunity to undo a decade-long wrong committed against homeowners who bought their homes in good faith, and who should never have been subjected to the emotional and financial stress and trauma that they have endured to date.”