What
A
Cunt
Who are the other companies involved mentioned in the article? Are they Donegal based too?
It’s hard to make out what companies they own but I know they’re operating Churchill Stone anyhow. I’ll have a dig around at the weekend and see what I can figure out.
Sorry. I mean the non-Cassidy related companies which also supplied blocks.
I’m not sure to be brutally honest. I saw another crowd mentioned on the Facebook group recently but can’t remember. There’s been very little about other companies mentioned which says a lot as there’s so much noise already.
The cunt has yet to confirm exactly how the issue happened at his quarry but didn’t at others. He keeps hiding behind legal letters and talks about there being different regulations back then. Houses built with his blocks in the last five year have tested positive for mica.
The ‘poor me’ shitabout he kids having to suffer the abuse he’s getting because of their last name is some sob story. They’re only seeing it because of the unbelievable corruption he engaged in to cut a few corners and make more money.
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What’s this about?
Hard to tell but they’re trying to keep themselves legally safe.
There might have been nothing illegal about adding a quick drying solution to blocks that ended up fucking them up in the end.
Still doesn’t mean it wasn’t a criminally negligent thing to do so.
Revealed: Mica compensation capped at €420k a home in €2.2bn plan
Could someone with a sub post this please?
Mica compensation capped at €420k a home in €2.2bn plan
Housing Minister’s plan to resolve homes scandal goes before Cabinet on Tuesday
Thousands of residents in homes built with defective building blocks containing mica will be offered a full 100pc grant for all remediation works — capped at €420,000 per home — under fresh proposals which would cost the State more than €2.2bn.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien’s proposed enhancements, which will be discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday, include a possible levy that would see the construction industry potentially paying into a fund towards the cost.
A memo, details of which have been seen by the Sunday Independent , confirms that if agreed by Cabinet the scheme would be extended to cover some rental properties as well as a resident’s principal property.
Because of the scale of the problem in Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Limerick, Dublin and now Tipperary, the proposed scheme only includes principal homes and not holiday homes — affecting many residents who live in Northern Ireland but own property in the Republic of Ireland — or the numerous public buildings in Donegal affected by mica, which makes the blocks weak.
The plan provides some detail on increasing the cap for a home damaged by defective blocks from €247,500 to €420,000 but this is unlikely to satisfy thousands of homeowners whose properties exceed that amount.
The current scheme, which covers 90pc of a homeowner’s costs, is estimated to add up to €1.4bn before any changes, while the revised scheme will cost the State at least €800m on top of that.
However, this could increase if and when more homes show signs of damage, with some media reports previously putting the figure at €3bn.
It is understood “revenue raising” options are being explored and several meetings with the Attorney General have also been held in recent weeks to discuss ways to bring legal action against companies that supplied defective blocks.
Significantly, if the Cabinet agrees, a senior barrister will be appointed by the Government to investigate how one of the biggest housing scandals in the State was allowed to happen and determine who was responsible.
In addition, the Department for Housing wants to see the appointment of a building control regulator — which would have to be agreed separately — to ensure a similar fiasco does not happen again.
On 100pc redress, which campaigners have been calling for, the calculation method is based on the cost per sq ft of rebuilding the existing home, with costings to be set by the department in consultation with the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. The rebuild cost for the north-west is currently €138 per sq ft.
A revised application process to be introduced requiring a homeowner to submit an initial building condition assessment costing €500 to €700 — considerably lower than the current fees of more than €6,000 — which would be recoupable on entry to the scheme.
Any costs associated with essential health and safety works, on foot of an engineer’s recommendation as part of the process, would be available to a maximum of €5,000. This fund includes provision for homeowners to stabilise their homes and avoid any immediate dangers.
The Housing Agency would act as agents for the local authority in assessment, testing and categorisation of applications received.
In the first instance, affected residents would make an application via their local authority, such as Donegal County Council, which would pass it to the agency to process. The organisation would have a panel of engineers to assess the damage and determine the best course of action.
A householder may disagree with its verdict and object via an independent appeals process, but the Housing Agency will have the final decision.
In the case of demolition and rebuild, an exempt development status would be provided for homes which are planning compliant and are being replaced on a like-for-like basis, while alternative accommodation costs are included as an allowable cost, subject to a maximum of €10,000.
In what is essentially a guarantee, Mr O’Brien’s memo contains proposals for a second grant option for householders who may only qualify for remedial work, as opposed to a demolition, in case they may be affected again in the future.
The scheme would be extended beyond the current scope of principal private residences only to cover some rental properties, subject to the property being RTB-registered on November 1, 2021.
However, this would only include one application per household, as well as the introduction of a clawback mechanism upon resale within a set time period, depending on the remediation option used. Opportunities for the State to acquire such rental properties for social housing purposes will be examined.
If the plan is agreed, the enhancements will start immediately but they will still require legislation.
Other proposed provisions include mental health support set up in Donegal for the physiological impact living in crumbling homes has had on homeowners and children, with both Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Minister of State Mary Butler involved to see how they can provide additional support in the county.
How much — and who pays
- Redress will be capped at €420,000 — up from €247,500. However, families whose homes are worth more are unlikely to be happy with this higher cap.
- The grant amount calculation is based on cost per square foot of the existing property.
- A revised application process will only require the homeowner to submit an initial building condition assessment at a minimal cost of between €500 and €700, which would be recoupable on entry to the scheme.
- The cost will be €2.2bn — but likely to rise as more defective properties are found.
- A potential levy for the construction industry is one option to pay for this but has not been discussed by Cabinet yet.
- Some rental properties will be included.
- No holiday homes or public buildings are included as the focus is on homeowners’ properties.
- A letter will be required to prove the cost of the work, with an option for a second grant in the future if needed.
- There are proposals to appoint a building regulator so this cannot happen again.
- The Housing Agency will assess, test and categorise all applications.
- The Cabinet will discuss the plan on Tuesday, but it is still not a done deal as every point will have to be agreed.
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Surely a cap of 420k will be more than enough for the vast majority of homes
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Watch builders and tradesmen migrate to donegal now, where every house will cost 420k to rebuild, no matter how big.
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There’s the testing, planning and demolition costs as well as the rebuilding costs but I’d imagine that most will fall under this cap.
€419,995?
What a fucking country
I don’t find it all that funny making jokes around bedrooms falling down around children having to be rebuilt but whatever rocks your boat.
They’ll be needed or it’ll take 30 years to complete. It’ll be a building project on a scale never seen before in this country.
I reckon lots of lads will start their own company now.
Biggest issue is going to be finding rental houses for the rebuild period.
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420/is huge
What’s 2.2bn divided by the number of taxpayers mate?
How much is this costing me.
I’m.sure you have this figure handy
Wah wah give me free money, did you ever consider not buying a heap of shit house?
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The other big issue is what other services will suffer with 2.2bn hit to the economy