‘Safe homes’ for Christmas protest planned

A ‘safe homes for Christmas’ protest is to be held, later this month in South East Clare, by those affected by pyrite.

An emotional meeting in Ennis last night (Friday, Dec 3) heard the frustration of members of the Clare Pyrite Action Group (CPAG), as delays continue in the assessment of their application for State redress.

While the updated terms of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme were unveiled on Tuesday, there was no indication of when the fund will be extended beyond Mayo and Donegal. The Department continues to query technical aspects of a report submitted by the council in July and a letter clarifying the full requirements is expected to issue on Monday. Against that backdrop, founder of the CPAG, Dr Martina Cleary told the meeting there is now no alternative but to take to the streets.

“This will be an ‘all we want for Christmas is a safe home’ march,” she said. “We need you to come out and stand with us. We need to band together with homeowners in Donegal and Mayo. Then, our next action will be legal action and that will cost an awful lot more than €420,000 for every house. It’s not only defective building material that’s the issue, but discrimination on a shocking scale. Ahead of that, we are going to block the roads for Christmas.”

Vice-chairperson Mary Hanley also appealed for support and for more of those affected to come forward. “I see houses riddled with pyrite and falling down,” she said. “Then, I see the plasters arriving and the builders. Then, I see the ‘For Sale’ sign. We need people to speak out. We need everybody there.”

Dr Cleary said the protest details will be confirmed closer to the time, but that it is likely to take place around the weekend of December 18 at a location in South East Clare. “Please bring your children and grandchildren,” she said. “We have around two years before we start to see the horrors of Donegal here. We need all children and grandchildren to come out to support the senior members. Get the extended family out.”

The politicians in attendance – Deputies Joe Carey and Cathal Crowe; Senators Timmy Dooley and Martin Conway and Mayor of Clare, Councillor PJ Ryan – pledged their continued support in speeding up access to the grant scheme.

The Oireachtas members repeated their belief in the sincerity of the Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien, who has said, on a number of occasions. that Clare will be covered by the scheme. On August 27, on a visit to Clare, he pledged access within “a matter of weeks”.

The Oireachtas members also agreed that the new scheme does not go far enough in supporting homeowners.

The Hanleys of Drumline who showed their badly pyrite-damaged home to Minister O’Brien in August insisted the terms of the new scheme are not acceptable. A presentation of figures compiled by the action group show that while a 1,000 square foot home will be funded for almost 97% of costs, a significant shortfall will arise for larger homes due to the sliding scale of State contributions. Remediation of a home of 2,800 sq ft will secure around 80% of the necessary funding, while a 3,800 sq ft house will secure just 74%.

“This is touted to all and sundry as a great grant,” Séamus Hanley said. “The 100% is non existent. There are so many things running short that it’s almost as bad as it was before. It would be funny if it wasn’t such a serious issue. There is no other way now except to go out on the street.”

Mary Hanley insisted that the sliding scale of funding must be revised. “The sliding scale must go,” she said.

Read the full coverage in next Thursday’s Clare Champion.