Charles Ward
Donegal · 100% RDR · Ireland
“I thank Deputy Kenny for bringing forward this motion. As a parent, I have seen the costs relating to sending children to school skyrocket over the past ten years. The situation is absolutely out of control.”
“Uniforms are supposed to represent equality, but they have become another financial burden on families who are already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis that has been going on for a very long time.”
“Those who were previously on particular school bus routes no longer have the option of using those routes. As a result, parents are forced to engage in long commutes and to cover the costs incurred in this regard. I welcome the motion.”
“She did not receive the substantial person-centred supports she desperately needed to rebuild her life. Support has to be extended beyond crisis intervention.”
“Domestic abuse is increasing and becoming more and more complex. I spoke in depth with Jessica Gallagher, who is clinical director of the Uplift Project. She works alongside women who are affected by domestic abuse, coercive control and sexual violence in Donegal. She said that demand for the service demonstrates the scale of unmet need.”
“I welcome Jennie's law. The publicly available register of judgments will be a life-saving resource, as people in relationships or considering relationships will be able to see whether people have histories of domestic violence convictions.”
The complete record
Every one of 544 lines we hold for Charles Ward, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 11.
“I thank my colleagues Deputies Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett and their staff for bringing forward this extremely important detailed motion. I am happy to cosign and support this motion and its calls for the Government to urgently progress this Bill on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and include a ban on trade services. There is supposedly a ceasefire in Gaza. Let us be honest: if what is happening in Palestine today were to happen anywhere else, there would be outrage. The Palestinians have been abandoned and left behind. There would have been absolute uproar. There may have been a reduction in violence but hundreds of people have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October and even more have been injured.”
“I have assisted my constituents in applying and reapplying for employment permits in recent months. We need to protect the CSDDD provisions on stakeholder engagement. The changes brought about by the omnibus proposal not only render the CSDDD ineffective by making sure that companies will fail to identify the most severe risks that take place further down their value chains, but also fail in their stated aim of simplifying legislation. The changes will mean that all due diligence obligations are passed to suppliers. There is a way of getting this right but we need to get the balance right.”
“I would be grateful if the Minister would let me know whether he plans to review the employment permits process during his term as Minister. The process of applying for a permit can be slow at times and I would like to know his plan to address this. Has the Department considered streamlining this process via the visa process?”
“Unfortunately, people have lost their lives. This is down to the fact that the roads need to be upgraded and safety measures need to be put in place, but these are not being done. On the route from Letterkenny to Ballybofey, the bus has to stop in the middle of a junction to let people out. They cannot even put a bus stop down, going into Ballybofey. It is a disadvantage to the town of Drumkeen and to the Finn Valley. In this day and age, it is a ridiculous situation, but as per usual, Donegal is the forgotten county.”
“Parents in defective homes are already forced to make so many unfair decisions on their families. They have to decide whether to send their children to college or allocate the funds to rebuild their already damaged, crumbling homes, if they are fortunate enough to be in a position to do so. Whether people pay rent or halt education or healthcare, essential living costs are going by the wayside just to keep the cars on the road rolling. There are costs to families that are just not fair. There is also a higher risk of accidents when it comes to cars on the roads, Relying completely on cars as a mode of transport can be dangerous, especially in Donegal, because so many rural roads are not fit for purpose. For example, the N13 road in Drumkeen, where I live, has seen numerous accidents on the 2 km stretch approaching the village.”
“Households are struggling to pay their bills, fill their tanks and keep food on the table and it is unacceptable. Families are faced with very difficult decisions on whether they can afford to make journeys they once made. This is particularly the case for families in rural areas and families impacted by the defective concrete crisis, where the parents have to travel very long distances to gain school access, work, sports and after-school activities and public amenities such as playgrounds, parks and swimming pools. Parents want their children to have the same opportunities that they had and they are being compromised. The current cost-of-living crisis is affecting every aspect of people's lives and motoring is definitely at the forefront of this.”
“I fully support this motion and its calls for the Government to stop price hikes to petrol and diesel and to end the penalty imposed on people who cannot afford to pay motor tax in one single payment and the proposed toll increase planned for January 2026. It is an extremely expensive time to be a motorist, especially in rural areas like Donegal, where we are forced to drive due to the lack of public transport and where the only form of public transport we have is a bus. Anyone without a car in rural Ireland faces social and economic exclusion due to this. Work, education and shops are all held to ransom by the limited transport services we have. My constituents are bearing the brunt of motor costs and it is completely unfair, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.”
“Will the Government commit to ensuring no engineer working on the defective concrete scheme is trained and instructed or certified under an outdated or discredited standard?”
“With respect, no amount of reassurance, avoidance or accountability can disguise these facts. Engineers are being trained on a standard that the State's own research has proven is wrong. The Housing Agency employs these engineers. They must use this training to make decisions about people's homes and people's lives. It is not a technical issue; it is an ethical and legal one. The direct effect is families living in unsafe homes. They are left to appeal and left in limbo. The Government cannot claim distance from Engineers Ireland when its own agency depends on the training for its functioning. By commissioning the research, employing the engineers and funding the process, the State has a clear and unavoidable duty to act. Anything less is complicity. Homeowners are entitled to competent, scientifically-informed decisions.”
“Will he finally accept that every decision taken under this flawed framework deepens the State's exposure to legal challenges and potential judicial reviews? The Government cannot claim ignorance of evidence it commissioned and published.”
“Every step, inconsistency and contradiction is being documented and will be part of the public record. I have a number of questions for the Tánaiste. Will he confirm that any training required for engineers working in State schemes will immediately be reviewed and aligned with the current peer-reviewed scientific evidence rather than the obsolete, discredited standard? Will he confirm that the Government accepts full responsibility for the oversight of such training and the competence of the engineers whose assessment determines homeowners' eligibility for redress? Will he acknowledge it is entirely unacceptable that the Government commissioned and paid for research that disproves IS 465, yet allows its own scheme to continue training and deploying engineers and to act as if the research does not exist?”
“They are being instructed to apply for this discredited standard and are paying for the privilege. Damien Owens has told the Oireachtas joint committee that IS 465 is not fit for purpose, yet Engineers Ireland is proceeding anyway, while Government agencies employ and rely upon these same engineers. The State cannot pretend to detach from this by funding the research that disproves the standard and at the same time allow its own agencies and engineers to operate and to be trained. The research does exist and was paid for by the Government. The Government is complicit in misleading homeowners and committing an injustice. This is not just an oversight but the continuation of a system that punishes victims while protecting the State from accountability.”
“Yesterday, Engineers Ireland ran a training course for engineers on IS 465, a standard, as the Government knows, that is outdated, discredited and currently under review. I met with Damien Owens, the director general of Engineers Ireland. and spoke to engineers who did not even know the standard was being reviewed. They are being trained to use documents that Government-commissioned research from Geological Survey Ireland has proven to be scientifically wrong. The damage in these homes is caused by internal sulphate attack, not mica, yet engineers are being instructed otherwise. This is not a neutral educational decision. The Housing Agency employs these chartered engineers. They must complete this training to work on the defective concrete scheme.”
“I urge the Government to support Sinn Féin's Bill and to address the increase in back-to-school costs for hundreds of thousands of families across Ireland.”
“On top of this, for families in Donegal and across the country the defective concrete crisis is adding an unbearable cost to this desperate situation when these kids are living in crumbling homes. Their parents are trying to heat these homes and pay their mortgage. They are being squeezed to death and they cannot pay for these uniforms. Many homeowners face impossible decisions while trying to pay their mortgage. What will they do: pay the mortgage in September or put a uniform on their child's back? They are choosing to put the uniform on the child's back and then the banks have the cheek to come and chase them for their house. Given that the 2017 circular was completely ineffective in addressing this cost of uniform,s it is clear that this Bill is needed to promptly address this issue to support struggling families.”
“How are parents expected to cope in a cost-of-living crisis? Back-to-school costs are astronomical. The Irish League of Credit Unions found that one in three parents now say that they get into debt covering their children's school costs when they go back to school in August and September. Over one third of parents say they are forced to deny their child at least one item when going back to school. Instead of two €50 jumpers, it is now one €50 jumper and the student has to make sure that this jumper is as good as new every single day or washed. It now costs on average €1,450 for primary school parents and €1,560 for secondary school parents to send their children to school. Families simply just cannot afford this. They are squeezed from every angle.”
“Students are also subject to harsh disciplinary action when not adhering to school uniform policy. The fact is that schools themselves do not seem to be adhering to Circular 0032/2017 regarding school uniforms. One of the key proposals of the school uniform was to create a more focused educational environment and reduce distractions. It completely defeats the purpose when students are penalised for something as small as a white stripe on a pair of shoes or for their tie being tied up the wrong way. This puts focus on the appearance of students and not on their educational environment. Because school uniform policies have changed so much over the years, in many cases items can no longer be reused or passed down to siblings. This means that parents are forced to buy brand new uniforms all over again with the expense to the family.”
“It was stated that the schools should implement this circular from September 2017 onwards. Anyone who has school-age children will know that these proposals were not introduced in most schools. In fact, schools seem to be going in the other direction. In recent years more and more schools have turned to expensive branded options under the guise of promoting equality and inclusivity. The reality is that it just causes additional stress to parents and it has resulted in the exclusion of students who in some cases have not been allowed to take part in activities without school-branded clothing. It is a ridiculous situation that students are actually being excluded as a result of a school uniform policy. It completely goes against the intentions of the uniform in the first place.”
“The circular, which the school authorities were expected to adopt, included the following principles for cost-effective practices: all elements of school uniform should be part purchased from various stores; the iron-on or sew-on crest should be used; whenever possible generic rather than branded items should be specified; parents should be provided with a list of all required items along with the costs of these required items; and the schools should consult with parents on their views and suggestions on the reductions of the costs of these uniforms. The template questionnaire that would address the cost-effective practices should be sent out to parents once every three years. As a parent I have not seen that. The boards of management should review this annually. As a member of a board of management, I have never seen this.”
“School uniforms cost an absolute fortune for middle-income earners but for low-income earners it is an entire week's wages that comes out of that family's costs just to put a uniform on their child's back. A circular published just eight years ago by the then Minister for Education included measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of uniforms and other costs.”
“Uniforms are supposed to signify unity and equality but now they just mean another additional cost for families when there is a cost-of-living crisis going on. It costs between €40 to €50 for one secondary school jumper now. I have three children that were at high school in the past 18 months and I know for a fact that one jumper per child does not happen. A family is paying for multiple jumpers because they go through them and they do not last a year. It costs hundreds of euro just to put a uniform on them that has to be changed and adapted as winter comes and again as spring comes as children grow. If a family has multiple children, they are paying far more.”
“I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this very important Bill. I fully support the Bill, which would mandate all schools to adopt a cost-conscious uniform policy. As a parent, I have seen the cost of school uniforms increase massively over the years. It used to be the case that not so long ago we would have been able to buy one or two branded items such as a school jumper or a school tie. Other items such as polo shirts, trousers or shoes could be bought at any shop if they were the right colour. This allowed multiple retail options and allowed parents to shop around for the best value, or even to shop second-hand sometimes. That option is increasingly being taken away as more and more schools introduce expensive branded shirts, track suits, bags, coats and PE gear.”
“Many of our island piers and harbours lack basic services such as electricity, waste collection, lighting and water supply. There are problems and on top of that many inshore fisheries face discrimination against smaller fisheries. Inshore fisheries are denied funding from the Brexit adjustment reserve. That almost the entire mackerel and herring quota is given to just 50 large vessels, owned by about two dozen, is extremely unfair. These people face an uncertain Christmas and an uncertain future. This is solvable with the right Government and political will. The Minister has the will to do this. He will have to do it because if he does not, we are facing Armageddon for the fishing industry all over Ireland. I believe the Minister will have to go in hard and fight for the people and the fisheries.”
“As I come from a coastal community, an island community, I can tell the House that further cuts to quotas will cause catastrophic damage and we should not be immune to hearing this. Fishing communities are barely surviving as it is. In Donegal, I see at first hand every day that it takes entire towns and communities to make towns successful. Killybegs is one example. It was a thriving town, but it is in decline. The next few months and decisions will determine the future of that place. Killybegs has a history of fishing. It has raised families on fishing, but right now as we speak, fish factories are not operating and boats are tied up. I come from an island, Arranmore, where fishing has been an important part of the island's history. That history is being erased with every cut and every time we are treated unfairly.”
“Ireland's TAC share of mackerel is more than that of any other species and its value supports more of the fishing industry than any other significant margin, yet it seems tthe Government's negotiation strategy is not to reject such devastating quota cuts but to allow a lesser cut and apply for the Hague preferences, a small additional allowance, to patch it up, rather than try to fix the root problem. It is disappointing that the Government consistently takes such a weak negotiation stance when it comes to fishing. We are so desperate to please Europe that it is to the detriment of our fisheries and citizens. It is not fair that Irish fishers are forced to bear the brunt of a weak Government that does not seem to have the best interests of the fisheries at heart.”
“This speaks of a Government that is completely out of touch with the fishing industry. The European Commission is currently evaluating the Common Fisheries Policy but the review has been going on for far too long. The cuts we face are due to take place in less than three months. We do not have time to wait. Armegeddon is coming. There is no doubt our industry will be completely wiped out if any further quota cuts are enforced, never mind the 70% cut in mackerel.”
“Basically, it seeks to support the very outdated policy that is causing these significant cuts. I understand the total allowance catch numbers are set annually at EU level for each region and each fish species. Ireland then receives its percentage for these through the total allowable catches, TAC, system. The percentage reflects the size and scope of the Irish fishing industry during the 1970s, which is half a century ago. That is why we have no bluefin tuna quota as there were no recorded landings over 50 years ago. Quite frankly, that is ridiculous in this day and age. The country and fishing industry have changed astronomically. It is clear this policy holds us back, yet the Government calls for the full implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.”
“However, the fishing industry gets ignored and is undervalued again and again, despite being a massive part of the country's culture and heritage, as well as a massive economic asset. Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, reported that in 2024 Ireland's seafood economy generated €1.24 billion in GDP. The sector sustained more than 16,800 direct and indirect jobs across fishing services and other services, yet the Government fails to take action. It fails to protect this industry and the jobs of people of who have made this industry their livelihood. Worse than that, it continues to support the very mechanisms and policies that actively hurt the industry. In its budget announcement at the beginning of the month, the Government stated it intends to support fully the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.”
“In 2024, the UK signed an agreement with Norway and the Faroe Islands, dividing up 70% of the mackerel between them without involving the EU. We let them get away with that too. Today, vessels from EU states, as well as fleets from the southern hemisphere, fish bluefin tuna, a lucrative species, in our waters, while Irish fishermen are forced to observe this because Europe has not allowed us to access this stock. French and British vessels continue to fish seabass on our doorstep while we have not been able to fish it since the 1990s and yet again, we let them away with this and much more. For how much longer will we let Europe and other countries take advantage of us? If this was happening in any other industry, there would be complete uproar.”
“In 2010, Iceland and the Faroe Islands increased their mackerel quotas without consulting the other countries that have a shared interest in these stocks, and we let them. In 2021, the Faroe Islands and Norway raised their mackerel quotas without agreement with the EU, despite Ireland being the most reliant on them, and we let them. In 2013, the Faroe Islands increased its allowance for herring by 229% and we allowed it. In 2020, following the Brexit trade co-operation agreement, 40% of the total value of European quotas was transferred to the UK from Ireland, and we let Europe sell off our half. This deal has been extremely damaging and has cost the fishing industry an estimated €180 million to date.”
“We have discussed them at length over recent months in the fisheries committee. The response from the Government has been extremely underwhelming. It is an attitude of deafness regarding fishing. It is as though these cuts and the industry's decline have already been accepted. We have no control over what happens in our waters, but we should. We have spent so long pandering to Europe that we have completely forgotten our value and the value of our fishing industry. Ireland holds about 12% of EU waters but is allocated less than 6% of the fishing quota. We are getting back half of what we have and we allow it. We allow Europe and other countries to consistently take and take, which they do.”
“It is hard not to feel completely hopeless about the fishing industry at the moment. What was once a prosperous industry is now facing complete collapse. It is utter devastation, as the Minister of State is well aware. The numbers have been outlined multiple times already, but it is important they are repeated until we get to grips with what we are facing and its potential impact. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has advised the following cuts, starting next year: a 70% cut in mackerel, a 41% cut in blue whiting, a 22% cut in boarfish, a 71% cut in Irish Sea whiting, a 59% cut in Irish Sea plaice and a 30% cut in Irish Sea haddock. As well as these cuts, a cut in Dublin Bay prawns is expected next week. The fishing industry faces losing up to €200 million. The Minister of State knows about these numbers.”
“The Government's amendment completely ignored my motion and the need to provide a remedy for apartments. Can the Taoiseach confirm alternative pathways established for affected apartment homeowners and whether they are currently operational, since the defective buildings have to wait? We have to wait. Those owners do not have the same rights as other homeowners.”
“When the original defective concrete blocks, DCB, scheme was in operation, apartments in multi-unit developments were eligible. Then, in 2022, eligibility was narrowed to dwelling houses, single ownerships excluding buildings with shared structural or common elements, apartments, duplexes and multi-unit blocks. These dwellings contain the same defective materials as a detached or semi-detached house. The exclusion demonstrates a serious failure in how the scheme is being managed. The Government's amendment to my motion last week described the DCB scheme as a residential home scheme, as it said that non-residential properties could be dealt with under other funding schemes. Apartments and residential homes being excluded is irrational, deplorable and undermines the equality in law and property rights.”
“When each Government TD votes tonight, they will not just be deleting a motion; they will be deleting the last thread of trust that many families still have in the State. History will remember this night and I will remember it when I am faced with evidence that the Government chose to look away. When given the testimony of those affected, the Government has silenced them. When asked for hope, it has offered nothing but spin. I assure the homeowners that their voice is heard in this House, even if the Government tries to tear it down. Their truth will outlast this vote. The cracks in their homes may run deep, but the cracks in this Government’s credibility run even deeper still. The Government can delete the words on this page, but it cannot delete the truth. The Government can vote down motions, but it cannot vote away responsibility.”
“It is a denial that will keep people in limbo and worsen the trauma. Every €1 spent on a flawed fix is €1 wasted to the Exchequer. The homeowners of Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Limerick have carried themselves with a grace that this State has not earned. They have organised, researched, pleaded and waited, but they are still being failed. I thank every Member of the Opposition, including every party and Independent, who came together for this motion. They did not do this for political gain and I will be truly grateful to them. They have proved that compassion and courage can still cross party lines. The people of Donegal will never forget them for that. The Government may have the numbers to pass its amendment, but it does not have the moral authority.”
“The Government is telling that to the very people who cannot afford to let their children go to university because they have chosen the immediate future of a safe house over their child’s future. That is what we are facing every single day. The Government is telling us it is acceptable that families are trapped in homes where their children’s drawings are covered at the back with the black mould they breathe in daily. The Government is telling us it is acceptable that pensioners cannot sleep because they are afraid of the gable wall falling on top of them. The science has moved on and the cracks have deepened, but the Government pretends that nothing has changed. It continues to fund partial repairs under a standard that is unfit and currently under review. This is not leadership; it is denial.”
“That is no slight on the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, who is present in his place. The Minister, Deputy Browne, said he would take those voices on board, but he has not. This amendment wipes out all traces of their voices. It wipes them out. This is deeply personal. It tells those families that their reality is inconvenient and that their pain can be edited out of the record. What we face this morning is not an amendment; it is an erasure of all we have said. It is a dereliction of duty. It is not telling the truth. It is wiping away the stories in order to fit the Government’s narrative. What this amendment really amounts to is cruelty. It is dressed-up grievance. It sounds like power turning its back on its citizens. That is what the Government is doing. The Government says it is a 100% scheme.”
“I genuinely believe that if Deputy Gallagher had been in the Government when this was coming to pass, and if Micheál Martin had any loyalty and recognised talent and loyalty to people who have served him, he probably would have prevented this from becoming the mess it is now. The Government has proposed an amendment that will delete every single word of our motion. Given that those words were shaped by those who have experienced this issue, the Government is not just striking out sentences on a page; it is striking out people’s truth. It is telling us and the country that what we have seen with our own eyes and endured somehow does not count. The Minister, Deputy Browne, came into the Chamber for a very brief time today and he has not had the respect to return. That is another let-down for the people of Donegal.”
“I wish to address the remarks of the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, about how he has got this "to where it is today". I will clarify where it is today. We have a scheme right now that has 74 houses that are completed. Another 70 have received outer-leaf remediation work only and still retain the blockwork. This amounts to approximately 140 houses, half of which will have to be redone at great expense to the Exchequer. The Minister of State failed to mention that 300 houses that are on the scheme are commencements. You cannot live in a commencement; you live in a completion. That is what has happened with this Government in the past. We cannot be fooled. Commencement is when you go to build. It could take years to build. Completion is what you live in. The Minister of State’s statement is misleading.”
“The Government waits and waits and it tells us constantly to wait. We cannot and will not wait. From this moment forward, we will see who is standing with us and who is not. The country is watching and let history record this. We will not let this Government spin or stall its way out of justice. Today, we are speaking with one voice and we are saying that we will not be spun, we will not be smeared, we will not be gaslit and we are not going away. All we ever wanted was to have the safe home we paid for, equal treatment and a fair system. We did not ask for compensation for the years of suffering. We have asked for justice. Now we are demanding it. I commend this motion to the House.”
“We have been living in an absolute disaster zone. The Government may see this as a problem to manage, but I see citizens to defend. Our citizens have been abandoned. They are not asking for favours. They are asking for what they paid for: a safe home. The then Government abandoned them by failing to enforce concrete regulations and the current Government is abandoning them again by failing to provide effective redress. It must put an end to this abandonment. I say to every member of the Government sitting silently in the background: if your home looked like theirs or mine, you would have moved heaven and earth to fix this long ago. It is not your home. They are not your children in hospital. It is not your spouse on antidepressants. It is not your roof sagging or falling down.”
“While Members sit in their warm offices and comfortable homes, families across this country are waking up in bedrooms soaked with damp, watching their walls disintegrate around them and wondering if tonight’s wind will bring down the ceiling again. They are breathing in black mould and their children are coughing through the night, and still the Government will not even give them the dignity of being believed. They are exhausted, afraid and suffering in silence not because they want to, but because the Government has refused to listen. I tell the Government this: I have listened and I am listening. I have stood in their homes. I have seen the despair in their eyes. I have heard the stories they are too ashamed to share. I have seen mental and marital breakdowns throughout Donegal. They have been rife.”
“Families must not pay to fix what the State failed to prevent. The motion also seeks the full extension of the scheme to public buildings, schools, hospitals and cemeteries; the embedding in the process of mental health supports; the setting of binding timelines and clear legal deadlines because justice delayed is justice denied; and the establishment of a scheme for social and affordable housing. Side-by-side building is needed. This must be recognised as a national emergency because that is exactly what it is. Most people in this House are not losing sleep in a defective home, but I am and thousands of my constituents are.”
“The Government did not just name the scheme; it named the scapegoat. This motion, supported by Members across the Opposition, demands the immediate suspension of all partial remediation until the revised IS 465:2018 standard is adopted; the reinstatement of original engineer assessments for the unlawfully downgraded; and retrospective equality for all families who applied under earlier versions of the scheme. These people applied for a 10% retrospective payment, but the Government put a cap and a date in there. Now they are left stranded. Some 43 families have been abandoned. The motion also calls for a new independent statutory authority, accountable to the Oireachtas, to oversee delivery and enforcement; a State-managed end-to-end option for those unable to self-manage; and the removal of VAT and levies.”
“For the love of all that is good, stop telling us to wait. The truth is that the Government is refusing to do the right thing. Even the name of the scheme as the defective concrete block scheme reeks of a deliberate misdirection. It is not just a poor choice of words; it is a political strategy to reduce the catastrophic structural failures and to turn it into a branding exercise to sanitise science, to ignore sulphate attack analysis, pyrrhotite and crumbling foundations and to strip away the truth that entire homes, not just blocks, are defective. Everything is defective. This is not just about blocks; it is about lives. The language used by the Government reveals its intent to downplay the damage, minimise the State’s role and shift as much of the financial burden as possible back onto blameless homeowners who are traumatised.”
“Multiple legal cases are now under way and Europe is investigating the Government's failures. The evidence is mounting and cases will grow because the law is not on the Government's side. The Government gave full redress to families affected by pyrite in Leinster but in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and throughout the country families are told to take less, pay more and be grateful. That is not a policy. That is simply discrimination. The Government could act but has chosen not to. It must stop pretending its hands are tied. Time and again when it wants to act quickly it has proven that it can. It can move emergency legislation in days, it can bail out banks overnight, and it can create statutory bodies from nothing when it suits its agenda, so stop telling us that it is complex and stop telling us to be patient.”
“The Government has taxed them twice; once when they bought and built their homes and again when they tried to fix them. They did not break them and it is not their fault. Then the Government adds a further concrete levy on top of the rebuild. The Government has made them project managers of their own trauma and still it has called it 100% redress countless times. That, quite frankly, is insulting. Let us be clear. This is not a moral failure. It is a legal and constitutional failure. It breaches Article 40.1, which states that all citizens shall be held equal before the law. It breaches Article 40.3 on the protection of property. It breaches Article 40 on bodily integrity. It breaches the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on the right to home, dignity and effective redress.”
“Let me be clear, the Government has already been found wanting in compassion, in competence and in basic human decency to the people who are affected with this plight. The Government will be found wanting in law. This is not a redress. This is obstruction and bureaucracy is weaponised to delay justice until people give up or die waiting. The human cost is staggering. An Earthquake in Slow Motion is the title of an Ulster University report on the mental health crisis we are going through. It documents the trauma, the anxiety and depression, the mothers on medication, children regressing, and families actually sleeping in cars. Some homes are so toxic with damp and black mould that respiratory issues have now become normalised. The Government is making people sick with this failure of a scheme.”
“Well, we will see and we will not be silenced. Let us stop pretending the scheme has just a few flaws. It is broken by design. More than 82 amendments were proposed to fix it and the Ministers had the information needed to provide a functional scheme. This included information from unwilling experts in this crisis who are the actual homeowners but the Government did not want the scheme to work and so it discarded the amendments and bypassed pre-legislative scrutiny at its peril. Engineers' original determinations have been unlawfully downgraded. Appeals are taking years with families stuck in unsafe homes. Essential works are excluded. The families with homes kept together with plasters are being told they do not meet the damage threshold, all while the Ministers say the Government will not be found wanting.”