Frustration among protesters as Taoiseach pays brief visit to county

By Róise Collins

A CROWD of protesters were disappointed when the Taoiseach failed to show up to a scheduled canvass of Letterkenny Main Street during his visit to Donegal on Monday evening.

Those gathered included members of the 100% Redress Party and the Raphoe Community Playgroup, who were eager to speak with Simon Harris about the government’s handling of the defective concrete block crisis.

Mr Harris was due to be in Letterkenny at 5.30pm but his plans changed with reports that he took a call from President-elect Donald Trump on his journey.

The Taoiseach did fulfill a commitment to visit Ballybofey and spent a short time on the canvass there with party candidates Senator Nikki Bradley and John McNulty.

During his visit Mr Harris made a commitment to a comprehensive review of the defective concrete blocks redress scheme after the upcoming General Election.

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, described the Taoiseach’s promise “an insult to the people of Donegal”.

“They’ve had years to do this. Affected homeowners have been telling the government for years what’s wrong with the scheme and how it can be fixed and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have not listened to them,” he said.

He echoed the frustration of campaigners, who have repeatedly called for a 100 per cent redress scheme.

“Where has Fine Gael been these past years? This should have happened already, not something offered as a campaign promise.

“This is an insult to the people of Donegal and to all homeowners affected by defective blocks,” he added.

In the crowd left waiting in Letterkenny on Monday was Audrey McGee, a member of the 100% Redress Group and wife of the newly elected Glenties MD councillor, Denis McGee.

Their family home is built with crumbling blocks.

An outraged Mrs McGee said she is sick of government officials “plaumausing” the people of Donegal.

“They will tell you what they want you to hear in these kind of situations but they don’t really care.

“They are so out of touch with what people are going through.

“Come and see the houses people are living in, walk through their front doors, sit on their couch, listen to their stories.”

Former Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh was also in Letterkenny for the Taoiseachs canvass. He was met with the frustrated pleas of Audrey McGee upon his arrival.

The longstanding politician is the only sitting TD who will not contest his seat in Donegal.

He made the decision to step away from politics because of defective concrete block crisis and the current scheme which he described as “not fit for purpose”.

“The scheme still isn’t right, it isn’t right for a lot of people. There have been gaps there for a long time and I think the biggest gap is the delay on the scienc,” he said.

“My biggest reflection is the fact that we had a very good scheme, a 90/10 scheme that would have worked, but it didn’t work because it was changed.

“The 90/10 scheme was far from perfect, but if that was honoured then maybe we would be further forward,” he said.

Deputy McHugh added that the delays are what are worst for those affected.

Delays within the political system are the reason why the 100% Redress Party will contest the upcoming election, Mrs McGee said that they were tired waiting for change.

“We are trying to fight for ordinary people. These people were never politicians.

“Charles Ward (general election candidate) is a health care worker, who works with dementia patients and my husband was fixing ceilings.

“He had to stand up, he said he would either throw himself in the sea or fight for the people,” she concluded.

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