I welcome the opportunity to speak on this and the fact that the Minister is in the Chamber. There are some improvements, and that should be recognised. I very much welcome the grant increase. Retrospective payments are good for many families, although they do not go back far enough. The extended timelines from 65 weeks to 130 weeks is supportive. However, there are significant shortfalls in the Bill. It does not achieve the 100% redress that is necessary. The Minister knows that building costs have significantly increased. The cap he has applied is unfair because individuals across Mayo, Donegal and many other parts of the country purchased their homes and took out mortgages in good faith. It was the State that failed them. It is the State that continues to fail these families. Worse than that, the State is still liable for a future that is yet to be told. It is a reality that compliance and oversight in the industry are not sufficient. We cannot allow this to continue. Inspections are not happening at quarries despite the fact that this is a scheme that has cost the State billions. I urge the Minister to support the amendments. The oversight that is so fundamentally important should be enshrined in the Bill.

Sentiment score: 0.14