Mica 'national scandal' - Inishowen Mayor

Mica topped the agenda of May's Donegal County Council Plenary Meeting, with its 37 councillors unanimously supporting a 100% Mica Redress Scheme.

Standing Orders were suspended at the beginning of Monday morning's scheduled meeting to allow discussion of all the mica motions.

The suspension was proposed by Cllr Liam Blaney (Fianna Fáil) and seconded by Donegal Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr Rena Donaghey.

Calling for a Mica Public Inquiry and the introduction of a 100% Mica Redress Scheme, Cllr Jack Murray said it was an issue of equality and that Donegal people deserved to be treated the same way as people in Dublin and north Leinster were under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.

Cllr Murray said: “There is no issue which has gathered so much energy, anger and momentum as the mica issue.

“I was in Buncrana at the protests. People were devastated and were turning out because they want their own homes fixed, however, there were also many people there, who were not affected by mica, but were supporting their family members, friends and neighbours.

“It is also unprecedented too when you see the amount of sports clubs across Donegal that have come out in support of the mica families. The clubs have stated categorically all of their mica-affected members deserve 100% redress.

“I was speaking to a man in Burt who built a beautiful home and his entire family are now living in one side of it. They have moved all of their kids into one bedroom because they are sure, at any moment, one side of that house is going to collapse and the family does not want to take that risk.”

Cllr Murray said the engineer and testing fees of €5,000 to €7,000 mean many people cannot access the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.

He said: “There seems to be very little common sense regarding mica testing. There is a housing estate in Buncrana with 60 houses and every one of them was built at the exact same time, with the exact same blocks, from the exact same supplier.

“They are all showing the exact same signs of mica, so why does every single house have to go and pay up to €7,000, when we all know they all have mica. It does not make sense.

“We also need to remove the one house, one grant aspect of the scheme.

“People are more likely to go for the full rebuild because it is the safest option, as they know they cannot come back to the scheme at a later time, if more problems become apparent after 10 or 15 years. This would spread the money and make it a lot more accessible for people as well.”

Cllr Murray also highlighted the costs of mica-affected homeowners obtaining planning permission for rebuild dwellings, and the effect the situation was having on Donegal County Council tenants in social housing.

“We need a full public inquiry to establish the facts around mica and to ensure it never ever happens again.

“No county, no community should ever be put in this position again. We should never have to deal with such a horrible and devastating problem again,” he said.

Seconding Cllr Murray's motion, Cllr Albert Doherty said there was now international support for the mica-affected families.
He said: “People in the US are raising money to provide funding to allay costs. Many, many businesses up and down the county are also giving donations.

“We have a national issue on our Donegal doorstep and a national issue that requires national government to respond.

“We are supporting families. We are calling for fairness and equality of treatment.

“We now have the verbal support of former ministers Damian English and Joe McHugh that what was agreed [the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme] was not fit for purpose and requires addressing.

“We want similar treatment to the 100% Pyrite Remediation Scheme.

“I also want to emphasise Donegal County Council and our Council tenants. We have tenants who have no idea of what is happening in the near future as they look at their neighbours' houses disintegrating.

“They might want to do something to their own home and they are unable to while we still have testing ongoing in relation to blocks.
“I am referring to Clós Phádraig and Abbott's Wood in Carndonagh, Council housing areas with our tenants not knowing from Monday to Friday what can they do.

“The health of our tenants is suffering because they are not finding the support that we should be delivering for them.

“Mica is a national emergency and a national response is warranted.

“Just like the previous government, we have Minister McConalogue at the Cabinet table, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien is at the same table and in the same party, as is Minister McGrath (Public Expenditure) and An Taoiseach, who has been asked to intercede.

“They must liaise with Donegal County Council's officials and the Mica Redress Committee.

“We have not been fully briefed about the proposal currently in front of Minister O'Brien.

“A cross-part delegation must meet the Minister, with togetherness and strength in unity. We seek 100% redress and a mica public inquiry.

“Government action is now required from the government to address the national emergency that the families of Donegal are carrying but had no role in the cause of their burden.”