The Housing Minister has indicated that representatives from Clare will not be included in a working group set up to review the redress scheme for homeowners affected by pyrite and mica.
It comes as the Finance Minister has confirmed that a property tax exemption for those in Donegal and Mayo isn’t open to people in this county, as Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill reports.
There have been ongoing calls from affected homeowners here to extend the Defective Concrete Block Scheme to Clare, but the Housing Minister has said that would be premature before a rigorous analysis, led by Clare County Council, is completed.
In response to a parliamentary question from Clare Sinn Fein TD, Violet Anne Wynne, Minister Darragh O’Brien has now also ruled out including a Clare representative on the working group set up to review issues relating to the redress scheme.
The group, which includes representatives from the Department of Housing and local authorities and homeowner representative groups in Donegal and Mayo is due to complete a report on the matter by the end of this month.
Minister O’Brien says the membership has already been agreed though and will remain unchanged.
Homeowners in Donegal and Mayo were this week granted a six-year exemption from the local property tax and he Finance Minister has told the Dáil that this doesn’t extend to affected homeowners in Clare.
Minister Paschal Donohoe has reassured however that the Housing Minister is looking at the Government’s broader response to issues caused by Pyrite and he says the extent of the scheme will be examined as part of that review.
Clare’s Fianna Fáil TD says he can’t fathom why the scheme hasn’t been rolled out nationally.
It’s thought at least 50 homes and two council housing estates are affected by pyrite in this county and Deputy Cathal Crowe believes a public building may also be affected.
The Meelick Deputy says the positive undertakings by Government relating to Donegal and Mayo this week should stand in principle for Clare too.
