Redress required for victims of shoddy builders
HOMEOWNERS who have fallen victim of bad building and poor regulation should be able to benefit from compensation from the State, a new cross-party report says.
The Government is under pressure to establish a redress scheme to help families whose homes have latent defects.
While the Oireachtas Housing Committee cannot put a figure on the number of people who might be entitled to a payout, it argues the State has to take some responsibility for a lack of regulatory oversight in the past.
Its report, which has been approved by all parties including Fine Gael, also calls for a new Building Standards and Consumer Protection Agency that would operate along the lines of the Food Safety Authority.
The new agency would have a role in providing information, advice, dealing with complaints and dispute resolution.
It would also help the Government and industry with policy development and act as a construction qualifications registration authority.
Also recommended is that developers should be legally required to provide ‘latent defects insurance’ on the sale of all new residential properties.
Launching the report, chairperson of the committee Maria Bailey said changes are needed after years of stagnation in housebuilding.
She said while the increase in developments is welcome, “it is vital that the mistakes of the past are not repeated, namely that the poor quality housing constructed in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger boom years does not happen again”.
Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin, who was special rapporteur for the report, said it was impossible to know how many people could make claims if a redress scheme was set up.
“The straight answer is nobody knows,” he said.
However, he added that the State would not be expected to foot the full bill for compensation.