How much more do homeowners impacted by the defective blocks in Mayo and other counties have to endure, whether they have partially completed their rebuilds or whether they are trying to get into the scheme? At every age homeowners are given assurances that they would not be disadvantaged by the timing that they entered the schemes. Now homeowners, who are in the middle of rebuilding their homes and lives, have been told that they have to wait for legislation to be prepared and passed to enable them to avail of the higher rates. It is utterly disgraceful that these homeowners are being treated like this. It is clear that the scheme is not fit for purpose and in many cases only provides for 70% or less of the costs of remediation. Too many of the impacted homeowners are locked out of the scheme because of affordability. If there is to be any fairness in this whole scandal, the Government must provide retrospective redress, must end the damage threshold being used as a barrier to the scheme and must amend the scheme to allow impacted homeowners to access upfront payments to commence remediation works. The Government must allow the flexibility and timelines from start to completion. It must make the increase in the cap for the defective blocks scheme open to all affected homeowners, not just the new entrants. It must ensure that those responsible for the manufacturing of defective blocks are held to account, that a full public inquiry is held into the defective material and how it was sold into the housing markets and that the industry must contribute to the overall cost of the remediating of defective properties. Where is the scheme for the council houses and approved housing bodies, AHBs? Many questions need to be urgently answered regarding this scheme.

Sentiment score: -0.02

The Minister of State said that the Government understands that this can be a difficult and challenging time for homeowners. I am sorry but he does not and the Government does not. I am glad the Minister went to Donegal but my god you would have to be hiding under a rock for the past 15 years to not know that this was one of the biggest scandals that has ever faced this country. The Minister of State has not answered the question. When is the legislation going to be amended? I am dealing with families who are really suffering. They are at a loss of tens of thousands of euros. I know a couple who are getting married later in the summer and they want answers. We have said in opposition that we will facilitate - day or night - the legislation to go through. I do not care, and I know the same goes for Deputies Mac Lochlainn, Doherty and others, whether it is the middle of the night, the weekend, whenever we have to get this legislation through, we have to get it through in days. We cannot continue to wait for weeks and months.

Sentiment score: -0.18