Council warned of defective concrete blocks storm ‘tragedy’

Donegal County Council has been called upon to provide short-term accommodation where defective concrete blocks families can take shelter during winter storms.

With hundreds of families facing the prospect of another winter in homes that are deteriorating and unable to provide adequate shelter from strong winds and heavy rain, the local authority has been asked to act now to put emergency accommodation in place.

100% Redress Party councillor Joy Beard has called for the council to provide buildings for families to seek shelter in, “so they have somewhere safe to go during these storms”.

She said she is “extremely worried” about the safety of people living in homes affected by defective blocks this winter. Some people had to sleep in the cars outside their homes during storms last winter, she told Monday’s meeting of the Inishowen Municipal District, and some of the homes had windows blown out during the worst of the storms. 

The newly-elected councillor told the meeting that some of the affected houses will not survive another big storm.

“The storms last winter were horrendous for these families - both in social housing and private houses,” she said.

Rapidly deteriorating houses combined with worsening winters, means action needs to be taken now, as September will be too late, she said. 

“I am extremely worried that a tragedy is going to happen in one of these houses, simply because they have nowhere to go during these storms.”

The Buncrana councillor - who is the owner of a defective concrete block home - said she had been contacted by people during the storms “who were absolutely petrified”. These included an elderly woman who rang her at 2am “who could hear the house falling down around her outside”.      

“No provisions were made to get these people to safety,” she said.

Cllr Beard called on the council to pinpoint safe buildings, including ones it may own, to have safe places for families to go.

She said the location of the buildings could be publicised in the days ahead of forecasted storms.