Gardai say the fatal incident happened near Kilworth, County Cork on Monday afternoon | FILE PHOTO
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24 Mar 2026
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24 Mar 2026
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'Council has engaged with experts who have all made it clear that it is unlikely for the border to have been barrier to the distribution of defective blocks' - Cllr Shaun Harkin.
DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has been accused of "being too quick to rule out a larger defective block problem" in the North.
The criticism came from Derry City and Strabane District councillor Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit).
Cllr Harkin said: "The DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has been too quick to rule out a larger defective block problem in the North. The fact is that we still don't understand the possible extent of defective block in Derry City and Strabane District Council area.
"We know it has caused misery in Donegal and led to sustained campaigning by impacted households to win government support," he added.
"The Council has engaged with experts who have all made it clear that it is unlikely for the border to have been barrier to the distribution of defective blocks.
"We have learned through Council engagements there are many factors discouraging more impacted households from coming forward.
"The Minister is eager to say 'nothing to see here' instead of giving assurances that government will be ready to support those potentially impacted, and that is what people need to hear.
"People-power forced the Dublin government to provide support for Donegal households, but it had to be pushed every step of the way," said Cllr Harkin.
"The priorities of the Stormont Executive are no different to the Dáil when it comes to housing, it's disastrous across all 32-counties," he added.
"The Communities Minister hasn't been able to meet a single social housing build target, has done nothing to reduce temporary accommodation use, has sat on his hands amid spiralling private rental costs and has refused demands to act on housing damp and mould, so he shouldn't be taken as an authority on the possible impact of defective block."
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