Storms highlight dangers of mica homes: ‘People should not living like this’

The ferocious storms of recent days and in particular Storm Franklin on Sunday night and Monday, have once again placed the focus on the dangers of homes affected by defective blocks.

Claire McDaid told the ‘Journal’ how she was in contact with many worried and stressed families over the weekend, who feared parts of their homes would collapse in the strong winds. Claire highlighted how many homeowners also have water coming through electrical sockets and said she fears someone will be electrocuted.

Claire said there is not only anxiety and stress, but a ‘real undercurrent of anger’ and homeowners have ‘had enough’ of living in fear and worrying about their children, who are living in ‘unsafe’ homes. Parts of Claire’s house have already fallen away, with Storm Franklin causing more to come off.

She added how the uncertainty surrounding the new scheme and how and when it will be implemented is ‘cruel’ and said homeowners are on an ‘emotional rollercoaster’.

Claire said: “I think it’s shocking, the way we have been treated.

“So many people were so upset on Sunday night and Monday morning and I think that channel needs to be channelled into action. If anger is channelled in the right way, it can lead to action.”

She said talk of further inclement weather increases concern: “We can’t take this anymore. It’s constant worry.”

Many families took to social media to tell how they were scared to sleep in case the roof or a wall would collapse in the heavy winds.

Claire, who is well known as the singer in the group ‘Don’t Fear The Natives’ told the Journal how homeowners are living in fear each day but the recent storms have added to the untold stress they are under. She added how there is also a ‘real undercurrent of anger’ that, despite promises made by the government that a new scheme would be put in place, homeowners are still waiting. They are also awaiting clarification on a number of issues and later this week, the Society of Chartered Surveyors will issue its report to the government on construction costs for homes with defective blocks. Claire said that not only are people worried and stressed that their houses are going to collapse, they are also angry.

“We’ve had enough. The bottom line is, people should not be living like this,in Ireland in 2022. It’s madness.”

Claire’s son had to move from his bedroom to sleep in the living room during the storm due to worries over the severity of the wind and there is a crack that is ‘getting bigger’ in her other son’s bedroom. During Sunday night, Claire heard a huge bang and thought part of the house had collapsed. While it didn’t on this occasion, ‘bits did come off and the cracks are getting bigger and bigger’.

“The speed at which it’s cracking is getting worse. Water is coming in through the kitchen and my husband, Greg, said there was water coming in through the bedroom window on Sunday night. I haven’t even looked yet.”

Claire was in contact with other worried homeowners on Sunday night and told how there was a huge level of worry and stress.

“We’ve been speaking too, in recent months, about the worry of something collapsing and someone being killed, but I’m getting really concerned that someone is going to get electrocuted. We have places in our house where water is coming in, but there’s nothing through the sockets. Some houses have water coming in through the sockets. It’s cruel to have people living like this. We should be able to lie in our beds at night and not be afraid.”

Don’t Fear The Natives are releasing a single, which will be on music platforms tomorrow, Wednesday, about living with mica, called ‘We Don’t Wanna Hear A Thousand Reasons,’ and are hoping it can get as high up the chart as possible to send a strong message to government. The track also aims to give the Mica Families a musical spearhead in their continuing campaign to seek proper redress for their crumbling homes. Proceeds from the track will go to counselling for mica families. You can listen to the song and watch the video here. and you can download, stream and listen to the track the track on https://ffm.to/1000reasons?fbclid=IwAR0QsL9NKb90Q67y9NuLpx0ex5jUporzZD6fk_z_4AnC9c3hFm1YvCxbZTI