*Seamus & Mary Hanley show the extent of the pyrite damage to their home. Photograph: Joe Buckley
ANSWERS will be sought from Clare’s Oireachtas members this Friday as homeowners in the county face the prospect of missing out on a pyrite/mica redress scheme.
Between 6,000 and 7,000 properties will be covered under the €2.2bn mica redress scheme for Donegal and Mayo with grants capped at €420,000. Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien (FF) has not ruled out the inclusion of additional counties such as Clare where it is believed that over 200 houses are impacted by the presence of defective concrete blocks.
Clare Pyrite Action Group will hold a public meeting this Friday at 8pm in Treacy’s West County Hotel. Here, the county’s Oireachtas members are to come under pressure to provide answers as to why devastated homeowners have been let down. They will also be quizzed on whether they will support the proposed scheme when it is put through a vote in the Dáil.
Dr Martina Cleary, founder of the Action Group stated, “We are no closer to getting any indication of when, and if similarly impacted homeowners in this County will have access to it. Instead we have been given a list of ever changing, vague and broken promises, as our houses deteriorate around us.
She added, “We need everybody on board now, because it is very clear that this Government only pays heed to those who come out on mass to protest, to stand up for themselves, their families and their homes”.