00:00So many young people in my constituency of Donegal face an impossible situation
00:04as house prices soar and rents are unaffordable and unavailable.
00:10It's a disgrace that they're unable to afford to live in the very towns and communities that they grew up in.
00:16They're forced instead to immigrate in hopes of a better life and opportunities and a bit of independence.
00:24Young people can't be expected to live in their family homes well into adulthood.
00:27It's stunning that the independence of our young people has been severely damaged and family relationships along with that.
00:35The government's housing policy is driving young people away and is setting up for a future generation of complete failure.
00:42We have an aging population and we're doing absolutely nothing to actively address this.
00:48The construction of new homes in Donegal has nearly come to a standstill.
00:52On top of this, we're grappling with a defective concrete crisis.
00:55Last year, only 382 new builds were completed in Donegal.
01:00That's nowhere near what is needed.
01:03We need to be building 1,400 homes a year to keep on top of the defective concrete crisis alone over the next 10 to 15 years.
01:12On top of this, we need to be building 1,200 new homes a year just to sustain the current population in Donegal.
01:18That doesn't account for population growth over the next number of years.
01:22This means we need to be building 2,600 homes effectively in the northwest.
01:29We need targeted measures to introduce this to meet the house in demand.
01:33We cannot continue for this crisis to wreak havoc on the county.
01:37The failure to enforce regulation means there's no guarantee that new builds or rebuilt homes are free from defective materials,
01:44allowing a vicious cycle to continue, leaving homeowners vulnerable to further trauma in the future.
01:49I know for a fact, actually, today, that there's houses in Donegal that are being built with defective concrete.
01:56And we keep on continuing with this madness.
01:59We are supposed to be moving on from this crisis, but nothing has changed.
02:03No lessons have been learned.
02:04We are being dragged back into this crisis time and time again.
02:07We're simply asking to move on.
02:08Minister, we're losing all hope of ever seeing the end to this.
02:12Impacted homeowners trust in a system and trust in the government to do the right thing.
02:16But this has been completely broken over the years.
02:19Families are being pushed to the brink emotionally, mentally and financially as they navigate through a system that seems destined to fail them.
02:26The failure is not just about bricks and mortar.
02:28It's an erosion of trust over the years, over 15 years near enough now.
02:31It's about erosion of dignity, fundamental rights and a safe place called home.
02:36We all deserve a place to call home, to have that security, that sense of security.
02:41The sense of security belongs in your home as being stripped away by the people of Donegal.
02:45It's cruel.
02:46It's unfair.
02:48There needs to be accountability, transparency and immediate action.
02:52People are looking to move on with their lives and to be rid of the burden of defective concrete.
02:56For their families to move on and enjoy their lives.
02:59It's exhausting to live this crisis 24, 7, 3, 6, 5, year in, year out.
03:04As I've mentioned before, recent studies show the rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideations amongst people living in defective homes is comparable with those in disaster-stricken and displaced populations.
03:18This is an incredibly concern and warrants an emergency response in Donegal.
03:22It's time for the government to wake up and take drastic action and to allow us to continue to get on with our lives and help the people of Donegal.
