Rose Conway-Walsh: Demands 100% Redress for Pyrite Homeowners

Go raibh agathe, Cangcóirle, and at the outset I want to commend all those who travelled to the protest today, particularly from my own County of Mayo, and I think the unity between Donegal and Mayo over the years has been extraordinary. I know it's many years ago since myself and my colleague Porek McLaughlin raised this issue in the Seannad when nobody would listen. I want to commend the work of the Action Committees. These are my neighbours and my friends and these are people that I know and these are the people who are worn out by how they've been treated by the last government and by this government and particular I suppose you know I see here the Minister name-checking all of his colleagues I want to name-check just a couple of people and one is Josephine Murphy and the other is Dorothy Kane who who have fought for years in trying to get this scheme in place because when we discovered pyrite first in Mayo it was in the main confined to the Eris area and those two people in particular with some other people like Michael Healy and all that fought for years for a scheme to be put in place. It is absolutely amazing that these people aren't looking for compensation. All they are looking for is to have their homes reinstated and Lauren and Jamie Lee who have taken up the case in Ballina and the other members of the Action Group there I commend them as well. I mean I talked to a man the other day he described to me how a bat came in through his house. We have watched this over the years we have watched the cracks widened and we have watched government throw their hands in the air and then come along with a take it or leave it scheme. And that was the situation these homeowners were in with the 90-10 so called 90-10 scheme it was take it or leave it and it was almost like the government wanted them to turn around and say well we're not taking it and then they'd say well we offered you this and turn their their backs again. And Minister I want to know what part of 100% do you not understand. And I know the people today were very polite and they were mannerly as the people in the North West are. But please don't mistake that for a weakness. Because something has happened within the West and the unity within the West that we are not taking this anymore. We don't begrudge the people on the East the scheme the 100% scheme they deserved it too. But why should we be treated different just because we're on the West Coast of this island which happens time and time again while enough is enough and we're not taking it anymore. Those responsible for the scheme for those responsible for what happened here including government and light touch regulation have scarpered. The insurance industry the banks and the suppliers they all disappeared. Because you see they're used to dealing with governments who don't hold them to account. They're used to dealing with governments who are that close to them that they don't have to be held to account. That has to stop Minister and it has to stop now. I saw time and time again in the finance committee whether it be the tracker mortgages the insurance companies whatever it is. That has to stop. The government is here to protect people and to protect people's livelihoods. Just because people have made applications to this scheme does not mean that people accepted that it's okay. It is clearly not fit for purpose. When we look at the scheme we look at the issues like the accommodation the windows and doors and the energy. And I hear what you're saying Minister and I hear what the government colleagues are saying. And they are you know empathising with people. We need to go out of here this week to assure the people of Mayo and Donegal and Sligo and Clare and Limerick that they are going to get 100% redress. I'm very proud to be from County Mayo and I'm proud of the people who came here today. We are fighting back and it is your responsibility to end this nightmare for them. When you say active consideration, active consideration is not going to build any houses. It is not going to put to right the wrongs that have been done here. So I'm asking you Minister please do not mince the words. Please ask your Taoiseach and Taoiseach to come out to agree with the TDs who have spoken here tonight. And to tell people and to instruct the local authorities to tell them these are the changes that are going to be made to the scheme. So that these houses can be reinstated. It is not only the houses that are crumbling. It is people's lives. I have witnessed it for myself. Their physical and their mental health has deteriorated. It is not right that has happened here. Is this what the people in 1916 died for? To have citizens treated like this? Thank you Leslie.