Sinn Féin to table new mica redress legislation

Sinn Féín has confirmed that it has begun drafting new legislation to “meet the needs” of mica affected homeowners.

The party's housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin visited a number of mica-affected homes on Monday while on a visit to Donegal.

Deputy O'Broin told the Inish Times he will bring new legislation before the Dáíl that will largely contain the 80 amendments tabled by the Mica Action Group (MAG).

The MAG amendments were left out of the legislation passed by the Dáíl last Wednesday, which has raised fears that homeowners will not be able to afford to have their homes fixed.

Speaking to the Inish Times, the Dublin Mid-West last week's scenes in the Dáíl were “very emotional”.

“I sat looking directly at the homeowners, as they in a very dignified way, protested as they left. You could see the hurt and the emotional intensity of what they had just been put through.

“The homeowners made some very reasonable suggestions to improve this bill, many of which would not have cost the State an extra penny and yet the government refused to accept anything but the most minor amendments. I don't know how the homeowners sat there for the two hours as restrained as they did.”

Deputy O'Broin added that the fight to secure a workable scheme for all homeowners will continue.

“Sinn Féin and my own team have already started drafting a new piece of legislation to fix all of the flaws of the existing bill,” he said.

“We can't introduce that for six months because of the rules. But in six months' time, if the government doesn't fix those outstanding elements of the Bill by way of regulations, we're going to be back at this again in the Dáil tabling legislation to ensure all of the requests of the homeowners are inserted into the legislation.”

He added: “The message we're giving back to homeowners is - 'this is not over'. There are lots of TDs in the Dáil who are on your side and we are going to keep this fight up until we get the kind of scheme that the homeowners deserve, which is a like for like replacement scheme.”