Sinn Féin TD for Mayo, Rose Conway-Walsh, has called on the Minister for Housing to ensure that homeowners in Mayo, Donegal and other counties who have already paid to repair or rebuild homes hit with Pyrite and Mica are reimbursed through the Defective Concrete Block Scheme in a “fair and timely manner”.

Speaking in the Dáil today, Teachta Conway-Walsh said:

“For years we have been advocating for a retrospective element in the defective concrete block scheme, so that people who repaired or rebuilt their home would not be disadvantaged.

“I welcome the fact that the Minister has finally indicated a willingness to introduce these changes to scheme.

“The inclusion of retrospection in the defective apartment scheme – launched to repair Celtic Tiger era defects that would affect constituents in the Ministers own constituency in Dublin – seems to have showed the error of the previous position.

“Regardless of how the change of approach came about, Sinn Féin stands ready to work with the Minister to ensure these changes are brought in as soon as possible.

“The changes must be introduced as quickly as possible as many of those impacted have already been waiting a long time.

“We must also ensure that the bureaucracy – in terms of demonstrating the cause of damage and cost of the work carried out – is proportionate and reflects the reality of constructing a family home in rural Ireland.”