Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Over recent years, I have spoken in the House about the apartment defects issue on numerous occasions. I welcome to the Gallery Sam and Odette Doran of the Not Our Fault campaign. They represent more than 100,000 homeowners throughout the country who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves to be living in multi-unit developments where there are fire defects. The sequence of events is such that on 18 January 2023, there was the announcement of 100% redress, which was fantastic news. Emergency funding was to be put in place, with interim funding to be provided before legislation for the scheme was brought forward. A code of practice was published and owner management companies are fully complying with it, which was to lead to the interim funding payment.

The portal was opened in December 2023 and groups such as the Park West development, which Sam and Odette are managing, overseeing and putting in all the hard work for, did all the work of preparation for their scheme. They have undertaken at least three surveys. They have incurred much more than €70,000 in costs in getting themselves ready and being able to submit, only to find the fire officer has again and again put in impediments that do not allow them to complete the scheme. A fire officer is saying they will not agree to an interim scheme unless the Government underwrites the liability of the gap before the full works are completed. The problem with that is that the fire officer is, in addition, seeking further upgrades that are not covered by the scheme as published. Many schemes have paid out and raided their sinking funds, where they are lucky enough to have them, to try to bring their developments up to some level in order that they can get insurance. A lot of them have had difficulties obtaining insurance and those who have insurance are paying exorbitant prices for it.

We have a fundamental problem here. We are not likely to get statements between now and the end of term, obviously, because that is not next week, although the Planning and Development Bill will bring the Minister to the Chamber. I am asking my Fianna Fáil colleagues to raise this today at their parliamentary party meeting. I will be raising it at mine. It is not okay that people are living in defective apartment blocks with no momentum moving forward. This is a case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory following a fantastic announcement on the part of the Government. It is not being delivered on and ordinary homeowners are being left vulnerable and with the headache of having to sort this out. It needs urgent attention.