Mica legislation to get just two hours of debate despite over 100 amendments tabled

The bill is to see over €2.7bn paid out to homeowners whose properties have been affected by mica

Homeowners seeking 100% redress at a protest in Dublin in June. The Defective Block Campaign Group is to stage a Leinster House protest on Wednesday. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The legislation to cover the redress scheme for defective blocks will be debated for only two hours after an opposition vote on the matter was defeated.

The bill, which will pay out over €2.7bn to homeowners whose properties have been affected by mica, has over 100 amendments tabled but has only two hours allotted for debate on Wednesday in the Dáil, with all remaining stages deferred ahead of a vote.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the move was “absolutely extraordinary and scandalous”.

“We should just reflect on the fact that the defective blocks have literally devastated the lives of homeowners and their families in Donegal, in Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Sligo, at least eight other counties," she said.

“It is fair to say that those homeowners, those families, those entire communities are in a state of shock by the scheme published last week.

“It is extraordinary that the Government is closing down scrutiny on this scheme.” 

Sinn Féin called for a roll call debate on the issue which was defeated 66-61, with an almost united opposition.

Social Democrats housing spokesman Cian O’Callaghan said there had still been no explanation for why the quarries which produced substandard materials have not been "pursued by Government to recover those costs".

'Not acceptable'

He added that rolling a debate and 100 amendments into a two-hour discussion "is not acceptable”. 

The Defective Block Campaign Group will stage a Leinster House protest on Wednesday as well being present in the public gallery for the debate.

The affected homeowners say the main issues in the legislation are around the banning of downsizing affected properties, as well as the need for a new trusted pricing scheme carried out by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and that the “narrow” terminology used in the legislation around the minerals involved should be changed.

Campaigners say that other minerals including pyrrhotite are causing huge damage to some homes and the language in the bill should be expanded to ensure the legislation does not have to be revisited in the future.

There are some hopes in opposition circles that these three amendments will be adapted by the Government.

On Monday, the action groups registered their intentions with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Leinster House to establish a political party to contest the next general and local elections.

“It is our intention to run candidates in all affected counties in the local and national elections,” a statement said.

“Four counties are now on the defective concrete block scheme. However, we know based on our research, this problem is manifesting in 13 counties so far. We will be making contact with victims in these other affected counties to establish action groups and asking each group to work under the umbrella of this new political party. We will also be making contact with campaigners who are fighting in our cities for remediation of thousands of defective apartments and town houses.

"We will now mobilise our campaign towards running candidates in each of the 13 affected counties and major cities and we are confident, we will succeed.”