BREAKING: Donegal family representatives present Final Defective Blocks Working Group position

The representatives of the Donegal families on the Working Group on the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme have presented their Final Defective Blocks Working Group Position.

The full document, which was presented at this morning's meeting of the Working Group, can be read here.

The Working Group was established by Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien, following the mica redress rally in Dublin on June 15.

The Final Defective Blocks Working Group Position outlined the "final, informed position of the Donegal Family representatives on the Defective Blocks Working Group (DBWG)"

It said: "This document is informed by: Extensive knowledge of the issues facing families affected by the Defective Blocks Scandal in County Donegal; significant research and understanding of the Defective Blocks Scheme and its inadequacies; significant concerns with the IS465 through liaising with families, local authority, Engineers Ireland and IS465 engineers; and discussions of the Defective Blocks Working Group from June 2021 to present.

"[It is also informed by] an understanding of the Pyrite (2013) scheme and its workings afforded by expertise from the Housing Agency meetings; Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCSI) costings for rebuilds in parallel with independent and local/regional QS expertise; and data provided by Donegal County Council on existing applications to the scheme."

The Homeowner Requirement / Issues in the Report were broken down into sections: 100% Redress; Homeowner Assurances; Property Exclusions; Testing and Delays; Local Authority Administration; Special Provisions; IS465 Protocol; Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Grants; and a Public Inquiry.

The Donegal representatives on the Working Group were: Dr Eileen Doherty, Micheal Doherty, Joe Morgan, Ann Owens, Paddy Diver and Eamonn Jackson. The Report acknowledged they were supported by: Michael Carr, Chris Duddy, Bryan Margey, Catherine Duffy, Daniel Kelly, Cllr Martin McDermott (Donegal County Council) and all of the affected families who liaise with them on a regular basis.

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