‘Significant challenge’ finding accommodation for mica families

Providing accommodation for families whose homes are undergoing remediation through the defective concrete blocks grant scheme has been described as “a significant challenge” by a senior Donegal County Council official.

Acting director of housing Patsy Lafferty told the council’s defective concrete blocks committee on Tuesday that the council has spoken to a number of modular home suppliers on a number of occasions, but those conversations “have not progressed as well as we would have envisaged”.

“There are challenges county-wide regarding alternative accommodation at the minute,” he said.

There is more pressure on housing across the county and “it is a significant challenge,” he added.

Sinn Féin councillor Gerry McMonagle raised concerns that delays in the scheme, and the need for an updated testing regime pending the completion of a review of the assessment protocol, are holding up the provision of alternative accommodation for homeowners in the scheme.

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“That will obviously have a knock-on effect to us identifying and being able to provide alternative accommodation for homeowners moving forward,” he said.

Senior housing engineer John Gallagher said there will be “pressure” on finding alternative accommodation to allow homeowners to complete remediation work. 

Michael Doherty, public relations office of the Mica Action Group, warned the committee that the new defective blocks grant scheme, which was passed by the Dáil last week, is going to create a homeless crisis in Donegal and other counties.

He said the “elephant in the room” has not been addressed as to what is going to happen to “displaced families when we take them out of these homes when this scheme, if it ever does, gets up and running properly. Where are we going to put them? And nobody has any answers to that.”

The committee has called for an urgent meeting to be requested by the chief executive of Donegal County Council with the housing minister to discuss delays in the scheme.

Chair of the committee, Fianna Fáil councillor Martin McDermott, said it was time the department met the committee to discuss the delays. 

The committee is also to request an urgent meeting with Engineers Ireland following a request from Sinn Féin councillor Albert Doherty.

“I think the department has pussy-footed around long enough now at this stage," Cllr McDermott said. 

“I don’t think they want to answer our questions but I think it is time they sat across the table from us.

“We cannot keep people in the position they are in and we cannot keep holding up applications.”