Michael Brennan: €2.2 billion mica scheme a significant commitment from the state

Compensation programme is not everything that campaigners wanted but is €800 million more than recommended by the mica working group several weeks ago

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing: ‘I don't envisage a situation where we would be going back to government to seek additional monies anytime in the short to medium term.’ Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Housing, has just announced one of the biggest compensation schemes in the state’s history.

The mica compensation scheme will cost taxpayers an estimated €2.2 billion and the maximum payout per house will be €420,000, as first reported by the Business Post last week.

It will fund the replacement or repair of 7,500 homes containing defective mica concrete blocks in Donegal, Mayo and eventually Clare and Limerick as well.

But there ...