Sinn Féin has called for urgent clarification following allegations that Donegal County Council “secretly altered” more than 20 defective concrete block remediation applications.
The claims were published this morning by the website The Ditch, sparking concerns about the integrity of the process designed to assist homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks.
The allegations suggest that the council made alterations to these applications, making it appear as though independent engineers hired by homeowners recommended the same remediation solutions as those proposed by Housing Agency-hired engineers, who mostly suggested cheaper repair options.
Speaking out on the matter, Sinn Féin Group Leader on Donegal County Council, Cllr Gary Doherty, expressed his outrage: “I have written to the Chief Executive of Donegal County Council this afternoon on behalf of the Sinn Féin group to request urgent clarification on these very serious and concerning allegations made by ‘The Ditch’.”
Doherty highlighted the severity of the situation for the homeowners affected by the defective blocks, many of whom have faced significant delays and obstacles in seeking 100% redress.
“That defective block homeowners, having already faced so many delays, barriers and roadblocks in their fight for 100% redress, could have their engineers’ reports altered by Donegal County Council to effectively downgrade their remediation to a cheaper option is appalling,” he said.
The council’s initial response, which claimed that the changes were due to “a minor technical glitch,” has been met with scepticism.
Cllr Doherty called the explanation “entirely unsatisfactory” and argued that it fails to address the concerns raised by both homeowners and public representatives.
“We need answers from both Donegal County Council and the Housing Agency as to how and why this was allowed to happen, causing further undue anguish to defective concrete block homeowners who have already suffered so much,” he added.
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