‘We cannot wait until doors close and essential services are lost’
Councillor calls for urgent redress scheme to cover community facilities and farm buildings
Buncrana-based 100% Redress Councillor Joy Beard has called on the Government to extend support for the defective concrete crisis beyond private homes, including vital community facilities and farm buildings as a matter of urgency.
Cllr Beard said the issue was much wider than the damage being experienced by homeowners, with playgroups, community centres, shops, public service centres and leisure facilities among the buildings affected.
Her comments follow concerns raised by 100% Redress party leader in the Dáil, Deputy Charles Ward, about the plight of farmers whose agricultural buildings are crumbling due to defective concrete.
Cllr Beard said the concerns of farmers must be addressed alongside those of other organisations and businesses relying on potentially affected buildings.
“The defective concrete crisis does not stop at our front doors,” she said.
“Behind every affected building are people who depend on it, children, families, workers, farmers and entire communities.”
She warned that the consequences could be devastating if community facilities become unsafe and are forced to close, questioning where the services they provide would go and who would meet the cost of replacing them.
Cllr Beard said those responsible for affected buildings needed a clear pathway towards assessment, funding and remediation, rather than being left to shoulder potentially enormous repair or rebuilding bills themselves.
“We cannot wait until doors close and essential services are lost before taking action,” she said, calling on Government to provide a dedicated support scheme for buildings beyond private homes, including agricultural premises.
Meanwhile, Deputy Ward visited a number of farms in Inishowen over the weekend alongside Councillor Ali Farren to see the impact of the defective concrete crisis.
“These are family-run businesses that provide employment locally and a boost to the local economy,” he said.
He said the difficulties facing affected farmers further highlighted the need for a comprehensive response to the crisis, which is impacting communities well beyond the housing sector.