SECURE A GENUINE 100% REDRESS SCHEME FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY DEFECTIVE CONCRETE PRODUCTS
- All residential, commercial, and agricultural properties to be included in the scheme along with garages, outbuildings and boundary walls
- All rental properties and those buildings owned by community-based organisations to be included in the scheme
- The grant rate must reflect the cost of rebuilding in accordance with modern building regulations
- No upper limit on the grant
- Emergency funding to be released quickly for the most vulnerable and all those occupying unsafe properties
- An audit is required of all public buildings to understand the full extent of the problem
- Demand that the government, its agencies and local authorities provide suitable temporary accommodation as a matter of urgency
- Promote continued scientific research into the causes of defective blocks
- Improve the regulation and inspection regime of all quarries and concrete product manufacturers
- Strengthen Building Control within local authority planning departments to ensure that the provisions contained within planning applications are adhered to
- Campaign for a public inquiry into how legislation and regulations have failed to stop the manufacture and sale of defective concrete products
- Bring those responsible before the courts to face justice
- Ensure that the defective concrete blocks issue is discussed at every council meeting
- Require local authorities to publish monthly statistics on the status of applications, number of properties remediated, grant monies outstanding and the time taken to answer queries
- Ensure that the Central Bank of Ireland, banks and insurance companies play their part in resolving the crisis
ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS AND TACKLE HOMELESSNESS
- Insist that local authorities deploy funds held on reserve to facilitate the building of new social housing
- Ensure that all properties owned by local authorities are left vacant for no longer than two weeks on a change of tenants
- Fast track planning applications for developers and individuals seeking to build new homes
- Ensure that local authorities adopt a more sympathetic view to individuals, especially young people and those with families already in the area, wanting to build in rural locations
- As a matter of urgency, insist that local authorities enter into partnerships with providers of modular homes
IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH SERVICES
- Ensure that the Minister of Health; Minister for Mental Health and Older People; and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; as well as the Housing Minister; are involved in addressing the humanitarian emergency affecting the country and the mental and physical health needs of those affected
- Establish hubs to provide mental and physical health support as well as help and guidance with the grant application process
- Recruit additional facilitators to answer queries quickly, and provide guidance and support, thereby helping to alleviate some of the mental stress associated with the remediation process
- Demand that government and local authorities deploy resources to help the most vulnerable in society
- Address the mental health crisis of our young people through the provision of more play areas, green spaces and recreational facilities
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RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM
- Capitalise on the stunning scenery, coastal areas and history of Ireland by encouraging more tourists to visit areas outside of the major population centres
- Provide greater incentives for those seeking to develop tourism projects and initiatives likely to attract visitors
- Introduce more electric vehicle charging points and develop more suitable parking for coaches at major tourist sites to encourage visitors
- Promote the development of the Newry to Letterkenny railway line and feeder bus network
- Provide improved access at publicly-owned tourist facilities for those with disabilities
- Promote the Wild Atlantic Way
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Giving hope to our young people
- Campaign to end discrimination against rural areas and use the additional funds to improve services for young people and preserve rural trades
- Promote apprenticeships by ensuring that all contractors used by local authorities have a policy for employing apprentices
- Ensure that local authorities meet a minimum target for the employment of apprentices
- Bring together local and national stakeholders to ensure that work on all outstanding school building projects commences immediately
- Introduce a Schools Support Programme for those pupils affected by the defective concrete blocks crisis
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PROMOTE OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
- Publish on a monthly basis the Register of Members’ Interests for all local councillors
- Ensure that details of planning applications made by councillors and executive members of all local authorities are published
- Improve accountability by facilitating members of the public to table questions to be answered at council meetings
- Require local authorities to publish details, on a monthly basis, of all amounts invoiced by suppliers of concrete, concrete blocks and similar building materials
- Publish the Mulcahy Report
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