Donegal families affected by mica – 100% Redress! No Less!
Yesterday’s mass protests by the people of Donegal and Mayo only go to show the power of mass organisation.
People who’s lives are consumed on an hourly basis by the very imminent threat of their home collapsing as the crumbling defective blocks polluted with the degenerative compounds of mica or pyrite turn what was once solid walls to dust.
Every creak and groan, a reminder that the time to act is now, not after a working group is established to count the cost.
Where was the same diligence by Mícheál Martin and Fianna Fáil when it was crumbling banks that needed new foundations €60 billion was handed over in an evening?
€1 billion pales in comparison yet unlike Ulster Bank, Anglo and KBC the people of Donegal and Mayo will still be there in twenty years.
The time to act is now!
Or ten years ago when this problem was first identified, that would be if Fine Gael who have been in power since had not tried repeatedly to silence the issue, hypocritical speak from FG Mayo TD Michael Ring calling for 100% redress this late in the game.
The people of Donegal know all too well the empty promises of the government parties, they know all too well that they are a long way away from Dublin and can be disregarded and forgotten, they also know they have nothing left to lose.
Whether it is suppliers cutting corners or ignoring legislation, controls not implemented or insurance companies washing their hands of their obligations it is clear that a capitalistic system of home production is rife with exploitation; that one of the basic necessities of existence when controlled by a self regulated industry bent on profits insured by an industry bent on profits these issues will arise again and again.
Stricter controls in what materials and methods are used from homes, schools and hospitals need to be implemented, every few years there is another scandal with buildings over running in costs or being made of substandard materials.
We need to invest in technical schools to provide the training for people entering the construction trade, schools and systems that are in place in every other European country, there to train the next generation of tradespeople.
Considering the amount of work needed to be done or the next few years, Donegal peoples long tradition of construction workers, the high youth unemployment, the historical emigration which looks set to return in earnest, Donegal is the ideal place for a technical school.
It would provide education, employment and development, it could pave the way forward for a safer more substantial way of construction.
The people of Donegal need help now to provide a safe home for their families, yet the same people do not want to see this happen again and again.
Standards in Ireland need to improve, there can not be in ten years more families going to bed at night wondering if their house will collapse as they sleep.
As long as our homes are seen first as a source of gain by the few and not as a place to live by the many we will keep encountering cases of cut corners and ignored legislation.
100% redress no less!
