Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said the proposed Building Defects Redress legislation requires extensive changes to properly support homeowners and tenants affected by Celtic Tiger-era fire safety and structural defects.

The Dublin Mid-West TD made the remarks at the launch of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s pre-legislative scrutiny report on the general scheme of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill 2024.

Teachta Ó Broin said: "Five years have passed since Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael committed to introducing a redress scheme for owners and tenants living in Celtic Tiger-era defective homes.

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"The draft legislation published last year by government is not fit for purpose. It replicates all the mistakes of the broken Defective Concrete Block grant scheme. It needs substantial amendment if it is to provide 100% redress for all those impacted by light-touch regulation and shoddy building work.

"The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Reform, has published our pre-legislative scrutiny report on the General Scheme of the General Scheme of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Rene mediation Bill 2024.

"The report sets out 19 specific recommendations which are required to ensure the legislation is fit for purpose. This report will be the litmus test against which owners and tenants in defective homes will judge the legislation when published. The Committee has listened carefully to all stakeholders.

"We have agreed to these recommendations unanimously and the ball is now in the Minister’s court. He must adopt our report's recommendations in full. And he must bring forward the legislation and then open the redress scheme as a matter of urgency."