‘Minister, what number do we call to obtain this emergency funding?’

SEVEN months after the announcement by the Minister for Housing that emergency funding would be put in place, local owners of defective homes are still waiting.

Last year owners of apartments in The Crescent development at Park West were told they would have to pay €68,500 to remedy fire safety defects.

On January 18 this year, Minister Darragh O’Brien announced that there would be 100% redress, emergency funding and interim measures put in place for local owners of Celtic Tiger-era apartments with defects, until the scheme is up and running.

On February 22, members of the Not Our Fault Campaign, a group consisting of apartment and duplex owners from Park West and Hunterswood, Ballycullen, met Minister O’Brien in his office.

The group say the Minister told them he would have emergency funding, interim measures and insurance support in place until the scheme is up and running.

Seven months later they have yet to receive any help.

“We are all still stuck with the financial stress and consequences of the government not stepping in with the promised emergency funding and interim measures that were promised in January,” Odette Doran from the Not Our Fault Campaign told Southside People.

“The publication last week of the Code of Remediation of Fire Safety Defects is a step in the right direction but we feel that a lot more could have been done with regards to emergency funding and interim measures this will help homeowners get on the right track until we have emergency funding.

“The Not Our Fault Campaign have been outside the Dail since the September 14, 2022 for affected homeowners throughout the country with fire defects as a result of self-certification by builders.

“We have been protesting outside the Dail every Wednesday since March 2023 we even had a 24 hour protest on the June 21 on that day we also had a presentation in the audio-visual room in Leinster House.

“We received an announcement on July 25 that the Code of Practice was ready and a portal opened for owners to register their defects to give the government a clear picture of the extent of what they are dealing with.

“No sign of promised emergency funding or interim measures.

“So, we do welcome the Code of Practice and the portal it is a step in the right direction for affected homeowners but not to sound too negative none of what was released will do anything in the meantime to make people safer in their homes.

“In the Crescent Building in Park West (pictured above) there are 232 apartments with close to 1000 people living their men women and children.

“We got hit with a bill of €15.9 million to fix our building that equates €68,500 per unit or just under €300 per week over five years.

“How can anyone come up with that sort of money for something that is not their fault?

“A few weeks ago, in the Crescent Building in Park West we had a very close call that could have turned into a disaster.”

Odette said the lack of emergency funding is causing a lot of stress for many families.

“From the get-go the Minister told us there would be emergency funding to upgrade fire alarm systems for early warning and to commence work in hallways and stairwells and emergency lighting,” she said.

“These three components are key to providing a safe means of escape out of the building.

“There are homeowners throughout the country who are going through a very stressful time living in fear in their own homes, being dragged through the courts for payments of levies that were imposed on them for something that is not their fault.

“People are on medication due to the financial stress and strain of living in a defective property. People have had balconies removed cutting off a means of escape in the event of a fire.

“Car parks closed.

“Huge bills just piling up on them.

“Insurance withdrawn because of fire defects or some policies increased by up to €150,000 for partial cover that’s if you can get it.

“The list goes on and on for conditions and expenses to try and keep living in a defective property that all homeowners bought it good faith and the government doesn’t seem to be interested in sorting out the mess they have caused.

“Imagine the impact on family life waking up to this every day as some people bought these as starter homes started a family with plans to move on but due to defects now, they can’t sell or move on they are stuck.

“The most frustrating thing about all of this is every government official, and every department we have spoken to, have said yes, the funding is there and has been allocated for defects so as we have asked you before Minister what number do we call to obtain this emergency funding that you seem to have forgotten about as in an emergency you dial 999/112 and you get a rapid response but we seem to have been abandoned we get no response.

“We will continue to protest again after the summer recess until we get the promised emergency funding and interim measures.”

Southside People contacted the Department of Housing for a comment with regard to this story but we hadn’t received a reply at the time of going to press.