Mica Redress

I don't know if that's just a feature of Irish campaigning, but I have noticed that more and more of these protest movements (not just mica and pyrite, but they are the latest) are using children to put their point across.

I think it's a really low tactic to use children, who have no agency of their own, for political point scoring.

There is plenty of sympathy - same as for people in poor countries who lost everything because of some earthquake or hurricane. But the government doesn't take on the cost for making good those financially impacted by those earthquakes/hurricane.

If your survey was carried out badly, you should certainly consider taking a case against the surveyor - why should the poor first time buyers of the upcoming decades be forced to pay tens of thousand Euro to make you wealthy?

The problem is I'd argue that a large number of people are in nearly the exact same situation as the people impacted. The only major difference is the mortgage related issues. We have a housing crisis. For those that will not be in a position to buy their own house they have to join the social housing list. Everyone impacted they will not get a house paid for by the government to their own design specs(for self builds anyway). There has been no recognition of that by the campaigners.

Everyone impacted deserves government support however they don't deserve a blank cheque. They are not the only people who are facing issues when it comes to housing in Ireland.

I honestly don't understand why the state proposal is more than "we will buy your property off you at current market value, we promise to increase social housing in your county & we will be quite sympathetic to you as regards the social housing waiting list".

Why are home/mortgage owners considered "better & more deserving citizens" than those on social welfare/ in affordable housing?

Grand. So most actually won’t have much of a mortgage hanging out of them, despite the spin.

I'd say a sizable portion of the large houses are self-builds with cash in hand labour(no tax and perhaps dole). The prices floating about now for reconstruction bare no relation to original costs (were income tax and vat were dodged and perhaps mates' rates used).

Give me a break re the "Work away from Home", is that the holiday homeowners.

I think its ridiculous people heading the mica campaign have massive houses and good jobs "lecturing" etc with adequate means don't seem to want to contribute a penny into reconstructing their own home yet are have happy enough for taxpayers to do so and also letting all those buying/building a home into the future pay through a block levy. With 2000 families on the Donegal housing list I feel the money could be better spent on council houses that are more adequate to people needs (not 2500sqft) based on peoples requirements not wants(not the dream house BS).

Funny enough it's the exact same contractors who sourced and built with the faulty blocks are now lined up for the big payday too(joke)

Ok I'll use the term builders so

Morals, Like the main mica spokesperson failing to register his second property for the RTB. Cowboys.

Isn't there a disconnect between the unwillingness of the owners of these houses to contribute even 1% of the costs, coupled with the expectation that everyone else should pony up 100% without question.

And, bear in mind, they're getting away with it. No-one is saying "OK, your problem is that even where the Government gives you €420,000 of other people's money, you'll still have to pony up €40,000. And your proposed solution is that other people should pony up €460,000."

Bonkers, but tolerated as a respectable position. Absolutely no chance of Government saying "given the stunned reaction of the people who will be paying for all this, our offer is withdrawn. Give us a shout if that means you are actually homeless right now."

I agree. They lost me when they began using their children as pawns

There’s many failings and in the mica campaign, like their attempt to equate the €150 million spent by Government on pyrite homes in five counties including Limerick, an average of €65,000 per house, with the multi-billion Donegal McMansion Blank Cheque Scheme.

Some have also mentioned the multi-billion bank bailout.

As if being forced to pay for the mistakes of others in the past means we can’t say “enough”.

If they were that desperate to provide a home for their children, they would have accepted one of the previous offers made by the Gov and been grateful for such a deal. I'm not sure about you, but parents dragging their children out of school and up to Dublin to parade them around the city for RTE news would seem to me as though they're being used.

What planet are you on? Of course it's about the money.