Tag Archives: Mica Action Group

ALMOST a year after a revised grant scheme for homeowners with defective concrete blocks was agreed, campaigners say thousands are still “trapped” in unsafe houses.  In a strongly-worded letter to the housing minister, action groups in Clare, Mayo, Donegal and Limerick, have pleaded for an update on when the new scheme will be live. In the correspondence seen by The Clare Champion, action group leaders, including Crusheen’s Dr Martina Cleary, said “homeowners are trapped in unsafe, unhealthy homes because they have no other option”. The letter, copied to all Cabinet members, has also sought an assurance that enough temporary accommodation will be provided when homeowners need it. “Given that thousands of affected homeowners will have to avail of the scheme in the years to come, and there is a national crisis in availability of rental properties all over Ireland, how is the Dept. [sic] of Housing working with the Local Authorities in the counties affected to ensure there will be …

A NORTH Clare woman has outlined how she is in “a living nightmare” after serious problems were discovered with the structure of her home, because of defective building materials – most likely pyrite and/or mica. The woman, who spoke to The Clare Champion on condition of anonymity, said she has now found herself saddled with a large mortgage on a property she will be unable to sell in its current state. “I lie awake at night and feel like I am listening to the house crack and creak,” she said. “My understanding is that there could be many others in Clare who have the same problem and I’m calling for us to come together to see what we can do.” The house is a detached property and was bought by the woman in the late 2000s. “At the end of last year, I started to see horizontal cracks on the external gable and on the front facade of the house,” she …