Why has the government compensation for mica affected properties been negatively received?

JizzBeans

I would like to know if any of the mica protesters are grateful for the compensation package offered by the government? Do any of them accept that the redress offered is actually very generous and unique in nature. There are people who will never own one home, let alone receive what is essentially, finance for a 2nd home.

Richard571

You should have posted this in the Donegal forum……I’m sure you’d get a great response!

Graces7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118265229#Comment_118265229

It is actually a very good question.

Mr Hindley

While I feel sorry for the people affected, the sense of entitlement is bugging me - the idea that anything less than 100% is 'disgusting'. It's not actually the government's job to bail people out of a bad purchase. Now, as a taxpayer, and on the basis of shared risk, I'm happy for some of my taxes to go towards bailing these people out, as to have your house become completely worthless would just wipe you out financially. But it's not unreasonable to expect at least a small share of the burden to stay with them.

What I don't understand is how the builders themselves are getting away scot-free - it's them the anger should be directed at, and every last possible euro extracted from them!

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058221081/why-has-the-government-compensation-for-mica-affected-properties-been-negatively-received

What makes it unique from the Dublin pyrite redress scheme?

VillageIdiot71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118265229#Comment_118265229

I was thinking of changing my username to Blank Cheque McMansion, and doing just that.

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118267765#Comment_118267765

Have no strong opinions

But it is unique from pyrite.

One was found in stone

One was found in concrete.

Remedy to the stone gerally involves removing and replacing the subfloor and paths. Though there were cases of more substantial damage.

Remedy to the concrete involves replacing the whole house.

Therefore it is unique as the cost is substantially higher per unit.

VillageIdiot71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118267765#Comment_118267765

I suppose firstly there isn’t a “Dublin” pyrite scheme. Secondly, the national pyrite scheme has only cost a relatively modest €150 million where the Donegal McMansion Preservation scheme costs a couple of billions, with the campaign looking for even more. The average cost of fixing pyrite houses is €65,000, which makes some kind of financial sense when the alternative is rehousing a family. The Donegal campaigners, on the other hand, think it makes perfect sense for someone else to give them €400,000 to rebuild a house worth half that.

Lots more could be said, but that’s enough for one post.

pauliebdub

Their attitudes and sense of entitlement is very off-putting. Some of the homes affected appear to be mansions in the middle of the countryside, ordinary taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for these in their entirety.

Spanish Eyes

Donegal, using its "forgotten County" mantra to bleed the State they castigate at last.

daheff

I saw some TD claim that the average affect house was 2300sq ft in size so the scheme wouldn't be suited as it caps the redress by house size.

Fck me 2300 sq ft. Massive mansions.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058221081/why-has-the-government-compensation-for-mica-affected-properties-been-negatively-received

Basically it hasn't been received well because it still leaves most homeowners having to come up with a sum of money they can't afford.

The average amount they will have to put in stands at 55-65k. Which makes it no better than the old scheme, which the government said they were going to fix.

But the government have put a great spin on it, saying it is a 100% redress scheme when it so obviously isn't, and also getting the 420k cap figure a lot of media attention, which has fooled the public in general into thinking we are all getting handed 420k each to fix our homes.

But I'll not post again in this thread as it's obvious from some of the comments already that there isn't much actual knowledge of what the situation involves, who is at fault, why homeowners are so annoyed etc. Some folk need to go off and educate themselves on what actually happened here, as they are posting questions and statements that have been talked over to death already and which would answer their points.

Let's just say that the situation on the ground up here is very serious. But when you are miles away sitting in your home which isn't in danger of falling down on your family in the next big storm, it's easy to take pot shots. The fact that the latest government schemes actually involves money to tackle the mental health issue it's causing tells you a lot about how it's affecting families.

But sure have your digs at your neighbours expense.

Graces7

Niman; not fair. No one here is having digs ; well at least I certainly am not. Someone from overseas asked me why the Irish govt is being expected to pay private owners for builders/suppliers faults. I had no answer and still do not.

Of course owners are deeply upset. That is not disputed.

And I have every and deepest sympathy for affected folk. And I do not own where I live.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118268225#Comment_118268225

It’s worth bearing in mind that land in Donegal and the north west Is extremely cheap and building costs are (were?) much lower than the rest of the country. A lot of people are happy to dig their own wells and deal with their own sewage so the land doesn’t even need to be near a town or on a main road, reducing the price further.

You could build a mansion there for a fraction of the cost of anywhere else in the country and many, many people did. It’s no indication of their wealth or anything else.

FWIW I think the micra protestors did a great job getting national attention to their problem and seemed to focus a lot of politicians minds but they’re at risk of losing all that now. There could be lots of good reasons why more than the price of an average house in Dublin isn’t enough to fix/rebuild a house in Donegal but they’re not being communicated and people will lose interest or support very quickly.

Also the ‘Dublin pyrite’ thing needs to stop. I know it’s second nature in lots of parts of Ireland to feel second fiddle to Dublin but it comes across as childish and petulant when used publicly.

houseyhouse

I understand the government offering some assistance but the response has been astounding. Especially when you look at the spend compared to that for homeless services in general.

I also keep thinking that they’re going to be getting much better homes than they have now. I mean better even apart from the mica aspect. Presumably the new houses will have to conform to current building regs, so they’ll be getting A rated houses even though the existing ones built in the early 2000s are probably C or D. Anyone else building now either has to stump up more money or cut their cloth to fit.

We’re scrimping and saving to extend our house. We’ll have to spend a large chunk of our budget upgrading the existing house to a higher BER, because those are the regulations now. It’s a bit sickening to think people are getting homes that are bigger, more expensive to build, and higher rated than mine almost for free and still complaining about it.

Graces7

I am still trying to get my head round all this and reading the thread on Donegal boards little by little. The only cpmparable thing is eg major flood damage compensation? Where there is no human agency responsible?

But here there is.

Yet the country is being told there will be full compensation from public funds? If these were council properties the people would be rehoused?

This is a disaster with a known human cause. Surely those responsible need to pay?

And the families clearly need to find alternative accommodation for safety. Maybe the council can help with that?

All very unsettling and upsetting, but the reactions?

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118275329#Comment_118275329

Would you feel any different if 10 years down the line you had mica and your house was crumbling and you had to move out of the house you are building know?

I guess these things depend on where you are looking from.

But I really dont understand how builders and suppliers are not footing the bill.

Reminds me of homebond telling all the pyrite victims to F off and taking no responsibility for it.

Dont know what people paid for homebond for if it wasnbt that sort of thing.

houseyhouse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118276560#Comment_118276560

Of course I would! If I needed my house rebuilt I’d be delighted for somebody else to be footing the bill!

In all seriousness, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any assistance. Of course people should not be left in unsafe houses that are crumbling around them. But when you’re spending other people’s money, your expectations should be different than when you’re spending your own money. You don’t order the most expensive thing in the restaurant when somebody else is paying. What is galling to me in this situation is that the homes that we, the taxpayers, are funding are much bigger and more expensive than the homes that many of us can afford for ourselves. That doesn’t seem right.

JizzBeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118268247#Comment_118268247

I understand all the points you make, but I sense you/those affected, are looking to hold the government accountable. And that they need to do "right" etc.

Why is that?

How come the redress scheme isn't viewed as very generous assistance, by a government, who are making a serious effort to help its citizens?

NIMAN

Maybe because someone introduced that sliding scale at the 11th hour which meant the avg amount the homeowner would have to find would be 65k, yet they still claim it's a 100% scheme which it mathematically can't be.

I honestly believe this was a deliberate attempt to turn the public against those affected, and it's working. The days after the latest report was published, every media report mentioned 100% and 420k cap, despite neither being achieved.

JizzBeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118279393#Comment_118279393

So is there no thanks or gratefulness for the fact that those affected don't have to incur the full cost? Why is it been turned into a negative?

dubrov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118279393#Comment_118279393

The public opinion shifted when it became apparent the homeowners were demanding 100% redress.

mikemac2

The best solution is well beyond me. The campaigners though make the Healy-Rae´s look amateurish

Each interview or sound clip in a march blames dem up in Dublin. We will show Dublin a protest they've never seen before. The Dublin government forgot us

They clearly don't realise the government screws us all. 😉

And its a national government anyway, they make it seem like 1880 and Dublin Castle are cracking down. Have they no engineers to do the talking?

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118279644#Comment_118279644

They have always been asking for 100%.

And they had plenty of support nationwide, some may have dropped off. Who knows?

I wouldn't judge Boards as representative of the country as a whole.

Graces7

If they would put as much money into ensuring the homeless are safely housed ?