MICA Debacle Symbolic of Light Touch Regulation and Enforcement

Supporting the MICA Protest in Dublin tomorrow, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar has described the MICA problem affecting thousands of homes in Donegal and Mayo, as symbolic of Fianna Fáil’s and Fine Gael's light touch regulation and enforcement .

An Teachta Tóibín:

“If ever something epitomised FF/FG’s record on housing, it is thousands of families seeing their houses crumble around them due to substandard construction and then having to fight the government for the full cost of reconstruction to be ensured. What adds insult to injury is that the MICA redress scheme for houses in Donegal and Mayo only covers 90% of cost, leaving homeowners to fork out thousands, even hundreds of thousands in some cases to cover their 10%, whilst the pyrite redress scheme instituted for affected houses in Dublin covered 100% of costs. These houses are crumbling with families still live in them".

"We have this crazy scenario where families have to escape a crumbling house, move into emergency rental accommodation or in with friends and family, but still have to make mortgage payments on a house that is fit to be condemned. We have hundreds of families who have don't have the money necessary to carry out the survey of their home before they can even apply for redress”.

"These are crumbling houses now. These are families being forced out of their homes now. Rebuilding a house in 2030, is absolutely no use to a family forced out of their home today or tomorrow due to the substandard nature of MICA blocks. There is now a very real concern as to how far this extends. Donegal and Mayo have been badly hit, with issues already found in Clare and Sligo as well. I wholeheartedly support the MICA Action Group’s protest tomorrow to demand equal support for MICA households, as was provided for pyrite households.”

“The Taoiseach’s response was that the €1 billion in funding committed by the State is between now and 2030. The government quite simply doesn’t comprehend the growing crisis here. There numbers of buildings will run into thousands. The scale of the crisis is still unfolding. The Local Authorities themselves are now the owners of many many homes that are rotten with MICA. An yet all of this was preventable with simply regulations property enforced. We in Aontú are calling for a full public investigation into this crisis".

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.