‘It's exhausting to live this crisis 24/7, 365 days, year-in, year-out’

Deputy Charles Ward has told the Dáil how people are looking to move on with their lives and be rid of the burden of the defective concrete crisis.

However, the 100% Redress TD says the strain on homeowners and their families is unrelenting.

“It's exhausting to live this crisis 24/7, 365 days, year-in, year-out,” he warned.

Deputy Ward was speaking during a motion regarding legislative and structural reforms to accelerate housing delivery.

He accused the current government and previous governments of a “failure of public policy” by their collective failure to deliver affordable and safe housing for people.

“So many young people in my constituency of Donegal face an impossible situation as house prices soar and rents are unaffordable and unavailable. It is a disgrace that they are unable to afford to live in the very towns and the very communities they grew up in.”

The 47-year-old TD warns that 2,600 houses a year need to be built in the North-West.

“The defective concrete crisis has exacerbated the housing crisis massively in the North-West, and targeted measures need to be introduced if we want to meet Donegal’s housing demand.”

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Deputy Ward said that he knows of houses in Donegal that are being built with defective blocks to this day.

“We are being dragged back into this crisis time and time again, and we are simply asking to move on, Minister; we are losing all hope of ever seeing an end to this.”

The Redress TD, who gained almost 7,000 first preferences in last year’s general election in Donegal, also highlighted how the defective concrete crisis continues to cause a severe mental health crisis across the country.

“Recent studies show that the rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation among people living in defective houses are comparable to those seen in disaster-stricken and displaced populations. This is incredibly concerning and warrants an emergency response.”

Deputy Ward further cautioned: “It is time for this government to wake up and take drastic action, or else this crisis will only continue to get worse.”