I am speaking on behalf of the families whose lives have been shattered by defective concrete blocks. Homes across the country are crumbling, walls are splitting, ceilings are collapsing and mould is creeping into children's bedrooms. These are not statistics; they are real people living in fear and paying mortgages on houses that may not stand in six or seven years. The current redress scheme is failing them. Costs are spiralling and homeowners are being asked to shoulder burdens they cannot bear. We need a scheme that delivers 100% redress without loopholes, delays or forcing families into debt for something that was never their fault. I also want to share the story of one of my constituents. She bought a home in 2006 and did everything right. She complied with all regulations, secured her mortgage, obtained a HomeBond guarantee and got an engineer's report. Within weeks of moving into her forever home, she discovered the roof was too heavy and the walls were buckling. For 18 years, she has been in and out of court fighting to hold onto her home. Today she has negotiated with a vulture fund to keep a roof over her head. In order to make her home structurally sound, she faces costs of between €150,000 to €200,000. She simply cannot afford that. This is the reality for thousands of families. I urge every Member of the House and every Minister in government to stand behind these people, deliver 100% redress and give them the dignity, safety and justice they deserve. This is not just about bricks and mortar; it is about restoring hope and fairness to those who have done everything right and have been treated badly by the system. It is hard to get the Minister here at times. In fairness, he is probably here as much as he can be. I refer to the log cabins he promised to the people of Ireland. He said he would have bring a Bill before the Dáil regarding log cabins. Deputy Ward will be annoyed at me for bringing this up, but it is a serious issue for people in rural Ireland.
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