Ward: 'Government squandered a critical chance to fix Defective Concrete Crisis'

Deputy Charles Ward has condemned the Government for forcing through the Defective Concrete Blocks Amendment Bill in a late night vote of 73 to 64, calling it “a reckless missed opportunity to finally fix a crisis created by regulatory failure.”

He said: “After two failed schemes, this Bill was the moment to get it right. Instead, the Government rammed through an incomplete, unsafe Bill with no scrutiny. Families living in crumbling homes deserved better than this farce.”

Deputy Ward highlighted that the Bill was published just eight hours before debate, PLS was waived, and TDs were given only one day to table amendments. “This wasn’t scrutiny, it was sabotage. Every TD in the country saw it. Every homeowner will pay for it unless the Minister acts”, he said.

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He also criticised Minister James Browne for promising key changes, like side-by-side rebuilding, in a press release rather than in the Bill itself, stating: “If the Minister is serious, he must put it into law, not hide behind a press release. Families cannot rebuild their lives on promises.”

Ward warned that because of the rushed process, the Minister now holds full responsibility for fixing the gaps. “Any amendment I put forward involving cost will be ruled out of order. The Minister can still put this right, and he has run out of excuses”, he said.

The Donegal Deputy added that the Dáil debate showed unprecedented unity among TDs across all parties.

He said: “The message was clear: this is a humanitarian crisis caused by regulatory failure. Accountability lies with Government, and homeowners will not tolerate another failure.

“I will keep the pressure on until every family is protected. The Government may have missed this chance, but if they act now and do the right thing, they can still deliver justice for homeowners — and the people of their counties will remember who stood with them when it mattered most.”