ADDITIONAL funding for Mica affected homes in Donegal has been included in Budget 2020. Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh announced this afternoon that an additional €20 million will be included in this year’s budget to fix homes in Donegal and Mayo bringing the total allocated for the project up to €40 million.
“This morning before Budget 2020 was announced Cabinet ministers were briefed on plans to fix hundreds of homes affected by Mica in Donegal and Mayo,” Minister McHugh said.
“The scheme is about to begin receiving applications. I know this has been a long wait for families affected but this Government is committed to helping.”
The mica affected homes will be fixed through a scheme operated by Donegal County Council and funded through Minister Eoghan Murphy’s Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
Minister McHugh said: “Government has been told that it will take an estimated €580m to solve this problem. Earlier this year we committed to an initial €20million investment. We are using a fund that was originally set up to deal specifically with pyrite affected homes in Greater Dublin. That issue is all but solved at this stage.
“The special funding pot that has been created will have about €40million next year to fix homes affected by pyrite and mica. The vast majority of homes in Greater Dublin which were damaged by pyrite following the boom and bust years have now been fixed and the focus will be on homes in Donegal.”
Minister McHugh added: “What we have been dealing with here, as a Government, is an exceptional problem which requires special measures to address it. We have answered the need and we will continue to. Again I want to thank the family who opened their doors to An Taoiseach and myself about a month ago now and poured out their hearts over the impact the crisis has had on them.
“I also know the strain that this issue has had on those in the Mica Action Group. People affected by this scandal have shown immense patience, determination and fortitude in working with us to secure this resolution. It was a local Fine Gael councillor Bernard McGuinness who first brought this crisis to public attention. He sat up and took notice before others and he deserves our credit.”
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