Homeowners affected by mica crisis facing bills to dispose of rubble from crumbling homes

Many heartbroken families will be forced to completely topple their homes because they cannot be saved due to the damage caused by defective blocks.

Other homes may be saved once repairs are carried out.

However, those forced to tumble their homes now face new bills to take the remains of their homes to landfill.

Many of those homeowners were part of last week's demonstration march in Dublin on Friday last.

The Government is expected to make an announcement on new proposals for a Redress Scheme for thousands of people whose homes have been hit by mica.

Hundreds of the ill-fated homes have been built across the Inishowen Peninsula.

Councillors in Inishowen have urged Donegal County Council to help affected householders who now face this extra bill on top of all their other problems.

Councillor Martin McDermott said some of the costs families are being quoted to take away rubble from demolished homes are "sky high."

He said "We need to look as a council of ways that we can take them (the rubble) away without people having to pay massive amounts of money bringing them to landfill.

"Some of the costs coming in are sky high for taking materials away and I think as a council we should be proactive on this."

Councillor Martin Farren said people with mica have enough concerns and worries without having this added worry.

"It is important that sites are identified and let people know where they can dispose of this sooner rather than later and that needs to be moved on swiftly.

"I was at the march in Dublin and the number of people who turned out was incredible and hopefully people will get 100% redress."

Brian McBrearty of the Environmental Section of Donegal County Council said the disposal of mica blocks and other guidelines have been issued.

He said some of the rubble apart from certain wood and PVC can be used again as fill on the sites from which they came.

He said the council do need more disposal sites and that work on the issue was ongoing but he could not comment further at this stage.