Thousands of homeowners around the country have been paying huge bills, in some cases for years, because of structural housing defects and fire safety issues, particularly in apartments.
The Construction Defects Alliance and Apartment Owners Network have done enormous work and campaigning in this area to bring to light the obstacles and financial struggles apartment owners have been facing and to push for the establishment of a redress scheme to assist homeowners with latent defects.
The following commitments were made in the Programme for Government with regards to housing defects:
Examine the issue of defective housing in the first 12 months, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, ‘Safe as Houses’;
Bring forward law reform to improve the legal remedies for homeowners who are dealing with defects.
Ensure that the remediation fund for Pyrite and Mica is fully drawn down. ·
Assist owners of latent defect properties, by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access lowcost, long-term finance
A Working Group will be set up by the Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien to examine the issue of defective housing.
The Committee hearing on housing defects, which was joined by representatives from the Construction Defects Alliance as well as Deirdre Ní Fhloinn,
The full debate can be read here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_housing_local_government_and_heritage/2020-12-01/2/
And watched here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/3636
Comments