Redress Focus Groups – 2023 Recap

• Website development thanks to Michael at MeanIt.ie
• Website design and rebranding by Brenda at tierneyjoyce.com
• Web launch with new look press release – an invaluable resource now available to all property owners, and anyone interested in, researching or reporting on the Defective Concrete Crisis around the globe.
• Formation of Redress Focus Groups Committee – Roisin, Peter, Karen, Margaret, Geraldine, Libby & Jess
• Appointment of Volunteer Coordinator Libby Mimnagh and Jess Harkin our Social Media Coordinator
• Social Media policy complete
• Volunteer Agreement,  Group Descriptions and RFG Constitution with expert guidance and help from Georgie.
• Bank account with Bank of Ireland opened
• Requested a special full council meeting with Redress Focus Groups representatives, county councillors, local TDs and Council Executives to update and hopefully begin working together to resolve the issues RFG are working on. This request has gone unheard since August.
• Registration as a full member under the local charity – The Exchange Inishowen allowing us to function as an independent organisation but enabling us to apply and receive funding which we hope to begin doing in the new year.
• Lobbying efforts on various issues such as policy and legislation surrounding building and construction works commencing too close to already fragile properties.
• Actively working with Open Government
• Participation in the joint Oireachtas committee meeting on Finance, public expenditure and reform, and Taoiseach to discuss Redress with Redress Focus Groups 4th  July 2023
• Meetings with the Finance Minister and senior management and product development teams from AIB, BOI, PTSB, EBS, the Banking federation, Insurance Ireland, Central Bank of Ireland as well as smaller institutions and vulture entities.
• Research on the Defective Blocks Crisis and its impacts on people and families in collaboration with experts in several fields. Our Mental Health and Youth Focus Group is part of a multidisciplinary research group which will work collaboratively with various experts researching the impacts of this Defective Blocks Crisis on people and families.
• Meetings held with all Donegal TDs and most Councillors
• Almost 100 volunteers signed up to RFG
• Special meeting held with Trade, Construction & Building Professionals to begin talks on working together on the major task of rebuilding Donegal in the most innovative, efficient & cost effective ways. Topics include: Gaining a workforce and incentives, housing for workforce, skilled task teams, overpricing/price gouging , costings, information teams for house types/energy efficiency/heating systems etc, temp accommodation, innovation, collaboration, efficient and cost effective building solutions, self builds, complicated rebuilds, end to end solutions etc.
• Actively engaging with local schools, Donegal ETB etc to pursue supports and resources needed for young people to help them through this crisis. These requests have so far been refused by Norma Foley and the Dept. Of Education.
• Development of a mix and match 6 module educational, community, well-being and resiliency course for people living through the crisis.  Exploring ways in which this course could be brought to all settings in the community, workplace, schools, youth groups, FET and so on for both adults and young people via the HSE and department of Education etc. so far this course is not being rolled out.
• Development of resiliency skills and self care workshop for adults and also for teens
• Funding now secured via IDP and Tusla to run a pilot resiliency course in Carndonagh Community School during January and February.
• Meetings being sought and engagement with government officials on health-related issues
• Seeking funding for the Support Hub
• Special meetings on construction, costings, and temporary accommodation etc.
• Data gathering and statistics collection specifically undertaking the task of gathering a more accurate gauge of how many properties and property types are affected throughout the county
• Engagement with banks, insurance companies and relevant government officials and departments
• Media and PR professionals on board with consistent presence online
• Local and national media interviews via print, radio, podcasts and Primetime RTE.
• Encouragement of students and youth involvement calling out to local clubs, colleges and universities
• Coordination of 12 Redress Focus Groups public meetings and numerous remote and in person meetings for each individual focus group throughout 2023
• Preparation for European delegation visit with representation speaking at this meeting
• Advocacy for the Support Hub
• Support Hub proposal and information document
• Centralisation of media and public inquiries to the Redress Focus Groups committee
• Health and Safety Assessment of up to 50 defective block homes
• Submission from Redress Focus Groups to  Joint Committee Meeting on housing, local government and heritage 23rd June
• Submission to the Donegal County Development Plan 2024-2030 13th of October 2023 on temporary accommodation for private homeowners during rebuilds for consideration and also on the worrying absense of mention of defective concrete crisis in the entire 420 page document.
• Submission of Proposal for Emergency Funding and offer of meeting with Minister Joe O’Brien for Rural and Community Development. Proposal put in through Padraig McLaughlin TD also sent from RFG and to Luke Ming Flanagan, Maria Walsh, Colm Markey, Chris McManus
• Request for meeting with Ombudsman for Children Mr. Muldoon with a view to requesting a special report on the health and welfare of children and young people living through the defective concrete crisis
• Meeting with EU delegation in the home of founder Roisin Gallagher
• Representation to EU delegation in Letterkenny by the Banking and Insurance Group
• Letter to Darragh O’Brien with run down on RFG progress with questions and emphasis on our proposal for emergency funding for a Support Hub sent Nov ‘23
• Establishment of our newest group, the Older Persons Redress Focus Group, meetings to take place with Older Peoples Agencies next year.
• Funding for the Community Resiliency Model to go out through several secondary schools and the community in 2024. 

This list is not exhaustive.

• Website: New updates including a new search bar! Updates to the Science section, Help & Advice section, the Volunteer Agreement and Group Descriptions have been added to the relevant sections and groups, News section has been updated to include correspondence with Minister Joe O’Brien and the latest update from the Banking and Insurance Focus Group.
• Reminder: We are always working on the website, on improving the organisation, on the media side of things and in bringing in new volunteers etc. but as you know we are all volunteering while working so anything done within RFG will only be done as and when volunteers get time to do it, this could take a day or even weeks but the effort never stops, we’re all just doing our best. A massive thank you to Michael and John of MeanIt WebDesign and SEO and to Brenda Tierney Joyce, Director of tierneyjoyce.com Visual and Digital Communications for their massive donation of this website and our rebranding and their ongoing work in making it the amazing resource it is. Also to Jess Harkin of Sosialita Management for her fab work on our social media.
• Council meeting request – the mayor Martin Harley has not responded since the initial phone call and email request in August. 2 plenary meetings have taken place and he has not put forward our request as he promised he would. It has been made abundantly clear that we want to work together with the council for progress. This reaction is unexpected and very disappointing.
• Emergency funding – email sent to all 37 councillors and MEPs. Representations from Colm Markey, Padraig McL, Jack Murray, Jimmy Kavanagh and all 9 Inishowen councillors so far. 
• Letter sent to Darragh O’Brien asking about inclusion of homeowners on to the working group. He wrote back with an explanation as to why there won’t be any groups involved. I responded to this expressing our major disappointment and how unhelpful it is to have a working group with no representation from homeowners on it. I also gave a full outline of Redress Focus Groups work including the proposal for emergency funding. I included many questions in the email and have been told he will get back to us soon.
• We will publish this and all correspondence with Ministers, council etc. on the website. Proposal to Minister Joe O’Briens has been added to the News section of the website.
• Volunteer agreements and descriptions have been added to the website
• Constitution being drafted and will be added to the website when complete
• Bank account currently in process of being opened with BOI. All accounts will be published on website

Request:

Submission to the council’s draft environment and climate plan by FRIDAY of this week. Anyone able to make a submission re the worrying news that septic tanks are cracking and leaking throughout the county?

RFG Plans and Goals for 2024 (HOPE)

• Continuing to work on and find solutions to all of the issues Redress Focus Groups cover
• Getting the true number and continuing to make all stakeholders aware of the true scale of this crisis
• Election year – being mindful of empty promises and gushing gestures. Recognise when work is completed, not when emails are sent. Work closely with whoever gets in locally and also if a general election happens. Advocating where we can within government for a true and full 100% Redress package, no exclusions. 
• Alice Academy news.
• Continuing to grow and work and solve all of the issues by encouraging more people to get involved and come along to our 6 weekly meetings. Expanding volunteers and volunteer engagement within all groups.
• Following up and awaiting word on – the finance situation, banks and government
• Ombudsman for children on a meeting and study on the health and welfare of our children and young people living through this
• Inclusion in the DCC council steering committee meetings
• Meeting with the council
• Awaiting response from Darragh O’Brien on many issues 
• Awaiting response with promise to make representations and support our request for emergency funding for a support hub from 35/37 councillors 
• Awaiting news on our submission to the Donegal County Plan 2024-2030 on omission of mention of defective concrete crisis throughout 420 page document
• Awaiting response on our submission to the county plan for temporary accommodation solutions
• Awaiting on word on the emergency funding proposal for the support hub
• Applying for funding for various different things like printing and surveys and whatever else our groups need to be able to carry out the work they need but ultimately we are limited in what we can do until we get sufficient supports in the form of a support hub and funding. Funding almost in place for the Community Resiliency Model to go out through several secondary schools and the community in Q1 of 2024. Funding almost confirmed for 4 schools and 3 full courses to run free of charge for anyone interested in this course. GlowSchool (teens) and RiseStrong workshops are also running throughout 2024.
• Devising a policy around fundraising – Redress Focus Groups will never ask our community to contribute financially to fixing this mess. We are already sacrificing so much of our time,  energy, our lives and our families lives to this and that is where we draw the line.