“POLITICAL FOOTBALLING” must end when it comes to the defective concrete block grant scheme, a Clare TD has said.

Strong criticism of the €2.2bn mica redress scheme was voiced by Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne (SF) with Clare absent as focus remains etched on Donegal and Mayo.

Clare County Council in July submitted a final report to the Department of Housing compiled by a IS:465 specialist engineer, one of the country’s leading expert on the damage caused by defective blocks and has pioneered testing in other counties including Donegal and Mayo.

Homeowners in August were promised answers “within weeks” by Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien (FF) when he visited the home of Mary and Seamus Hanley in Drumline to see first-hand the damage caused by pyrite in Clare.

Deputy Wynne stated, “It’s unconscionable that the inclusion of Clare folk on the scheme is still being questioned. Months down the line and after years of incrementally worsening situations for the families living under these cracking buildings – it is just not good enough. The report submitted by Clare County Council in July was meticulously compiled – all T’s were crossed and I’s dotted. They conducted the rigorous sampling as required by the Department, and in the last few weeks have been told that additional technical data is needed”.

She accused Government officials of “playing with people’s lives, homes and mental health”. The naming of it as the mica redress scheme doesn’t inspire confidence for Clare where the problem is pyrite, the Kilrush woman believed.

Violet-Anne added, “The Taoiseach is asking to ‘depoliticise’ the issue. This is not possible. This is about justice. This is about accountability. And this is about flagrant abuse of power, and Cetic-tiger cronyism that allowed this to happen in the first instance – but now it is normal people who are suffering the fallout. Clare must be included in the scheme ASAP and the political footballing with peoples homes must end”.