Brian O’Boyle (Candidate for Europe in Midlands-North-West)
On Tuesday 26 March, 1,000 people crammed into the Gateway Hotel in Buncrana, Donegal. Most of those in attendance live in homes impacted by mica and other forms of defective blocks and they were there to get justice for themselves and their families.
As a result of light touch regulation and the scramble for profits during the Celtic Tiger, their homes are literally crumbling around them.
Their banners captured the human devastation involved – they read “Our Homes Are Broken, Our Hearts Are Broken”. One thing that isn’t broken is their spirit and their determination to fight for what is right, however. The aim of the meeting was twofold. Firstly, the organisers launched a People’s Document. This has four key aims.
- 100 percent redress – people have no more money to give and they should not be expected to pay anymore.
- End to end scheme – people want the option of a state run company organising their rebuild from start to finish.
- No one left behind. There are priorities and different levels of immediate need, but no one should be left behind.
- Accountability – those affected want answers and they want to make sure this never happens again.
People Before Profit support these aims 100%. More importantly we stand with those fighting for justice and vow to do everything in our power to make sure that those living through this crisis get a full and timely resolution. This will need people power in communities, and it will need a change of government to exclude Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. In other words, it will need a left-wing government.
The local Fianna Fáil TD and Senator both refused to attend the meeting and their party has no intention of solving this crisis for the families. Sinn Féin have promised to meet the needs of primary residents and those with second homes, but they have yet to agree to the full terms of the People’s Document. People Before Profit supports the document and its aims 100%.
