Charles Ward uses Maiden Speech to call for ‘true redress scheme’ for Donegal folk affected by blocks crisis

Transcript

00:00The people of Donegal have sent me here today with a mandate to fight for 100% redress.

00:06We demand action. We need to hold those responsible to account. I will not rest

00:14until this is achieved. The time for half measures is over. The government must deliver

00:19a true redress scheme, not a grant, a scheme that is led by science. There are 10,000 families in

00:26Donegal that are currently affected by this. I am an affected homeowner. My children sleep

00:32in damp, mouldy rooms every single day, along with tens of thousands of others in Donegal.

00:38We have an opportunity in the next term to make this happen. We need 100% redress,

00:45a scheme led by science. We are doing this scheme currently at the moment the most expensive way

00:52you can build. We are splitting semi-detached homes. We are putting people onto the streets.

00:59They have nowhere to go. 10,000 people. We need child care facilities. We need leisure centres.

01:11We need a load of work done in Donegal. We are being abandoned. Donegal needs help. We need

01:18as much help as we can get. We have been fighting for years. This is the first time an affected

01:24homeowner has come on to the floor of the Dáil, elected by the people of Donegal.