The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) is backing the call for a mica redress scheme that would deliver the full cost of repair/rebuild to thousands of households that are impacted in Donegal and in parts of Mayo.
INHFA spokesperson, Henry O’Donnell, whose family home is due to be demolished because of defective concrete blocks used in the construction of his 1997 bungalow, told Agriland that the current 90:10 grant (Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme) is not fit for purpose, nor is it fair.
Mica impacted
It is estimated that 4-5,000 homes are affected across Donegal and parts of Mayo, but Henry believes that is a conservative number.
The suckler and sheep farmer says many other farming families are impacted by this issue, adding that farm sheds and outhouses that would have been constructed using the same mica-affected blocks are not accounted for in any redress scheme.
“A large number of houses and farm buildings are now crumbling leaving their owners facing the prospect of a huge repair bill due to the inadequacies of the current redress scheme.”
Mica scheme – unfair
The INHFA national council member, who lives in Inishowen, Co. Donegal told Agriland that once people started to engage in the redress scheme – which requires homeowners to pay 10% of the costs while the Government pays fort 90% – they were met with challenges.
“They found that the figure they are required to pay for includes VAT, so that makes it much less attractive; and there are limits set to the redress measures by the Council, so depending on what you are quoted for a rebuild, for example, you may not get 90% of it at all.”
Donegal County Council have five remedial options with separate grant limits available depending on the remedial works that need to be carried out. In the case of a rebuild, homeowners can claim up to €247,000. But this may not equate to 90% of the total rebuild cost.
PROTEST
The Mica Action Group, comprised of a group of homeowners whose homes were constructed with defective blocks will stage a protest outside the Convention Centre, where the Dáil is currently sitting, on June 15.
“And building costs are also increasing daily. The rebuild quotation that we received is only valid for 30 days because of this,” Henry added.
“Homeowners are also faced with costs of between €5-€7,000 in engineers’ fees and mica testing fees, for a report which they need so that they can access the redress scheme in the first place.
“The vast majority of the affected homes are aged between 10-15 years and those homeowners are still paying a mortgage on them,” said Henry.
He questioned the disparity between the 100% redress offered to homeowners impacted by pyrite and that put in place to deal with the mica-affected homes.
“There is a need for the State to acknowledge its responsibilities in this as they failed to apply adequate standards in relation to the blocks and building material that were sold in the marketplace with devastating consequences for the homeowners impacted.”
Upsetting
Henry shares his dormer home with his wife and two children. The impending demolition is hugely upsetting for them all.
He said that it is having a big impact on the young children of families impacted: “They are preoccupied by this, it is all they hear about at home and at school too.”