Redress Focus Groups Update – October 2023.
- Meeting held on October 24th in the Grianan Hotel, Burt where all the Support Hubs reported back in great detail to a well attended room.
- Written submission to Donegal County County Plan 2024-2030 on 13th of October re: No mention of defective concrete crisis in the 420 page plan and proposals for temporary accommodation.
- Letter sent to Ombudsman for Children requesting a meeting.
- Request for a meeting with Donegal County Council to establish a working relationship between Redress Focus Groups and departments to get solurions to so many issues.
- Proposal for emergency funding sent to Minister Joe O’Brien of Rural and Community Development to secure an essential support hub and resources.
- Meeting with EU delegation.
- Next meeting December 5th
- Libby Mimnagh joined as Volunteer Coordinator, the new point of contact for the Volunteer Leads, available to support and liaise with all Leads and Groups.
Redress Focus Groups – Making Change Happen Together
In no particular order, a list of projects and tasks Redress Focus Groups have been, are and will be working on:
– Website development and launch – Our website is still in progress but will very soon go live with a website launch.
– Organising a special full council meeting with Redress Focus Groups representatives, county councillors, TDs and Council Executives to update and hopefully begin working together to resolve the issues RFG are working on.
– Formation of Redress Focus Groups Committee
– Registration as a charity and seeking urgent funding in order to continue our work
– Lobbying efforts on various issues such as policy and legislation eg building 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 have taken place with the Finance Minister and senior management and product development teams from AIB, BOI, PTSB, 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 University of Ulster. Our Mental Health and Youth Focus Group are part of a multidisciplinary research group which will work collaboratively with the team in University of Ulster for the duration of a 3 year PhD programme 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
– Meetings being sought and engagement with government officials on health-related issues
– Seeking funding for the Support Hub
– Special meeting on construction, costings, and temporary accommodation
– 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 and insurance companies
– 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 from the Banking and Insurance Group
This list is not exhaustive
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