Rose Conway-Walsh: Calls for Minister to Lead on Defective Aggregates
Rose Conway-Walsh addressed the committee about defective aggregates, urging decisive action and a clear lead on the remediation scheme. She called for the committee to write to the Minister to demand responsibility and set an end date for the programme.
Call for ministerial leadership
Rose Conway-Walsh pressed the committee to take Josephine's and Charles's contributions forward and to write to the Minister, asking directly who is in charge of the scheme. She highlighted repeated confusion about who holds responsibility and argued the Minister should be identified as the lead.
Engineers Ireland warning and long-term risk
She cited the Engineers Ireland report which said the Parallel suggests Ireland is at the start of a 50-year issue and that standards are not fit for purpose. Conway-Walsh warned that without concerted action the problem could persist for decades and stressed the need for a definitive conclusion to the scheme.
International comparisons and technical responses
Conway-Walsh referenced similar problems in Massachusetts and Connecticut linked to the same geology and defective aggregates, noting their responses include university-led testing and rapid turnaround of two to three weeks. She named international experts and institutions involved in advising on the issue, including Laval University in Canada, the University of Ulster, and Dr. Andreas Lehman in Switzerland, and said solutions exist overseas even if construction methods differ.
Acknowledgement of campaigners and local cases
She acknowledged the sustained work of campaigners and experts, including Debbie McCoy, Martina Cleary, Linda in Parkinacilla in Westport, Josephine, Margaret and others. Conway-Walsh emphasised the human and practical impact on homeowners and the urgency of delivering promised increases to the scheme and a clear end point.
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Right, thank you. It's my turn again. Thanks. It's very interesting that we get to the last battle around the science at this particular time, and I think Josephine there has just outlined the solution that may give some glimmer of hope of what needs to be done. I mean, in the Engineers Ireland report today, they looked at other countries and they said the Parallel suggests Ireland is at the start of a 50-year issue, at the start of a 50-year issue, and acknowledging that the standards aren't fit for purpose. So I would suggest that as a committee, we would take what Josephine has said and Charles, and what we have all said here today, and actually write to the Minister, because I asked the question today, who's in charge? Everyone was saying, well, I'm doing this, this is my bit, and this is my bit, and this is my bit. Who is in charge of this scheme? And the Minister is in charge of this scheme? So I think we take that from the committee, and we write to him. And I just want to give Josephine and Margaret an opportunity. If I could say something for a minute. Margaret and I, we can give you, you know, Debbie's, she compared and contrasted the similarities and dissimilarities in both, and it's very, very interesting. And we can send you that. Thank you very much for that. And I do want to acknowledge the work of Debbie McCoy. I also want to acknowledge Linda in Parkinacilla in Westport for the work that she has done and continues to do, although she still waits for the increase in the scheme that was promised as well. But so many people, and you know, Connor, and like, we know all these people who put so much work, so much work. And Debbie McCoy, too, has a timeline. Ireland on the precipice. They have the same issue in Massachusetts and Connecticut, because they have the same geology. So the same defective aggregates have gone into the American houses. Now, they have foundations that are concrete, poured concrete, and basements, but the tops of their houses are wooden structures. So they prop them up, and they pull out the, they test, they have universities, their universities are their basis for testing. They have turnaround time of two to three weeks, and they just prop them up. Well, I know we can't do that because our construction is different, but it just goes to show it is in poured concrete and foundations. And all the solutions are there in other countries. You know, we are not unique. No. It's been happening for years. Yeah. And they have dealt with it, but our government's not. And all the international experts from Laval University in Canada, and Paul Dunlop, you know, we have on our own island in the University of Ulster, and Dr. Andreas Lehman in Switzerland have been in this country, have been in this building, some of them have been in this building and given presentations about it and tried to educate people. And it's really, I know we talk a lot about it, but, you know, we need action on it. We need it sorted and concluded is my biggest concern, that it isn't something that's going to continue. There has to be an end date. And I do want to acknowledge Martina Cleary for all of her expertise and everything else in her time that she's dedicated to the cause. Okay. Thanks, Deputy. Thank you.
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