Mica redress campaign to travel to Dublin on June 15

As the mica redress campaign continues to attract attention nationwide, with it even trending number one on Twitter, plans are being put in place for thousands of people from Donegal and Mayo to demonstrate at the Dail.

The demonstration is already receiving huge support, with business people across Inishowen and the county donating substantial amounts of money to fund transport to the event.

Campaigner and mica homeowner, Paddy Diver, called upon everyone to attend and said the government ‘needs to know they can’t treat us like second class citizens in Donegal.’

“We want the people of Dublin to know what is happening. I think the Minister wants to keep us at arms’s length up here in Donegal, we’re way up here, out of their road. But I think the people of Dublin need to know what is happening in their own country. We’re going down on June 15 and when the Dail comes back in September we’ll go again. And we’ll keep on going down if we have to.”

Paddy thanked everyone for their ‘overwhelming support’ for the demonstration, details of which can be found on the ‘100% redress no less’ Facebook page.

Eileen Doherty, a long time campaigner whose home is also impacted by mica, said it was hoped the Minister would see and recognise the strength of feeling expressed at the demonstrations in Donegal and Mayo last Saturday.

However, in a response to Deputies Joe McHugh and Padraig MacLochlainn in the Dail, Minister of State Malcolm Noonan said the scheme was ‘fair and equitable’ and will work for the majority of applicants.

“We were very disappointed by his response in the Dail. We feel like our government isn’t listening . We feel like we have to bring this campaign to its gates- we have to bring it to Dublin,” Eileen said.

Paddy Diver told how the issue is a lot more extensive in Donegal than he ever could have imagined.

“It has blown my mind. I didn’t realise when I first started this just how bad it was. This county is in a bad state. And it’s not just homes. There are businesses, retail premises, schools and so many more. The government needs to hold their head in shame.”

He continued: “The numbers at the demonstrations on Saturday were amazing, but also sad in a way to see, as so many people are affected. But there is also overwhelming support for the campaign. Everyone is fully behind this and united together.”

Along with the crowds expected to travel to Dublin on June 15, there are also local groups liaising with groups and businesses in the capital who have Donegal connections.

Eileen Doherty said they are also asking anyone living in Dublin, who is from Donegal or who has a connection to Donegal, to also join the demonstration.

She told how ‘hundreds’ of Donegal construction workers living in Dublin have also indicated their intention to attend.

Eileen also told how it is ‘vitally important’ that any homeowner who intends to apply for the current scheme registers with Donegal County Council.

This is so that when the Council is speaking with the department, they can relay to them the scale of the issue and how many ‘down the line’ who will be applying.

You can register at https://redressscheme.donegalcoco.ie/ and it does not cost anything to register. You do not have to have your engineer’s report ready to register with the council.