A DONEGAL County Councillor will raise concerns about the money being spent maintaining social housing units with defective concrete, due to the lack of a dedicated Defective Concrete Block (DCB) scheme for local authorities at today’s Plenary Council meeting.
Cllr Brian Carr stressed that the council has no choice but to divert funds from the housing maintenance and painting budget, which in turn is causing other properties in each Municipal District (MD) area to suffer.
In his motion, the Glenties based councillor will ask the council to provide details of the total expenditure to date from these budgets in each MD on such works.
Cllr Carr will also ask the council to confirm whether they have submitted a claim to the relevant Government Department seeking reimbursement for this expenditure.
In the most recent Glenties MD meeting, it was revealed that so far this year the area’s housing department has already exceeded its annual maintenance budget of €115,000 by nearly €10,000.
The work includes filling cracks and painting homes with oil-based paint, ensuring residents can continue to live in their homes.
“No other houses will be painted if the budget is €115,000 and €124,000 has already been spent,” said Cllr Carr.
Cllr Carr acknowledged that homes affected by DCB are the most in need of maintenance, “but we also need to ensure that other social houses are kept in good condition,” he added.
Cllr Brian Carr.
Meanwhile, his party colleague Cllr Jack Murray will also call on the Government to “deliver the same redress to all victims of the defective concrete scandals” at today’s meeting.
In his motion Cllr Murray will make calls for the government to urgently introduce a genuinely 100 per cent redress scheme similar to the Pyrite Remediation Scheme for all of the victims of defective concrete blocks in Donegal.
Cllr Tomás Sean Devine will also table a motion condemning the decision taken by 79 TDs to vote in favour of the Government’s counter motion to the one put forward by Deputy Charles Ward entitled “Reform of the Defective Concrete Redress Scheme.”
“In doing so, these TDs have demonstrated their approval to the defective concrete crisis here in Donegal and other affected counties,” his motion to the council reads.
He said this is contrary to the expressed will of the 37 elected members of DCC, which is demonstrated by the unanimous passing of 27 motions since July 2024.
The 100% Redress councillor said this also highlights the urgent and essential changes that need to be made to the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, and the Governments approach to the humanitarian crisis.
“It’s only right the people affected by DCB know that DCC will publicly call out this Government when it makes decisions that are totally and morally wrong,” Cllr Devine’s motion concludes.
