Talk: “Cracks in the Walls, Cracks in Our Lives — The Mica Scandal in Donegal”
Good morning everyone,
My name is Anthony and today I want to talk about something that hits very close to home, the issue of Mica-affected houses in Donegal. Some of you might already know about it, especially if you’re from the North West. But for those who don’t, I want to tell you what’s really going on, and why this problem is not just about broken bricks, it’s about broken lives, broken trust, and a government that hasn’t done enough.
So, what exactly is Mica? Mica is a mineral that, when present in concrete blocks in high amounts, causes them to crumble and crack over time. In simple terms, it’s like having sand instead of stone in your house walls. It might look fine at first, but eventually it starts to fall apart. Thousands of homes across Donegal and other counties like Mayo, Clare, and Sligo were built using these defective blocks. My family has since learned that Mica isn’t actually the main problem but when you’ve been hearing Mica for ten years, I’m sticking with it.
The people who live in those houses, including my parents, did nothing wrong. They built their homes the right way, got planning permission, paid their mortgages, and trusted that the materials they bought were safe. But because of poor regulation and a lack of proper testing by both the block manufacturers and the government, their homes are now literally falling down around them.
If you drive through parts of Donegal, you’ll see it everywhere, walls splitting in two, plaster peeling off, windows and doors twisted out of shape. Some families have to sleep in one room because the rest of the house isn’t safe. Some have to move out completely. Imagine the place where you’ve lived your whole life falling down as you watch. Thousands of people in Donegal don’t have to imagine, it’s simply reality.
This isn’t just about property. It’s about people. It’s about the stress, the worry, and the heartbreak that these families have to go through every single day. Parents wondering how to keep their kids safe. Elderly people trying to heat homes full of cracks. Teenagers like us who can’t invite friends over because they’re embarrassed by the state of their houses. Kids who can’t kick a ball against the wall of their homes in case the wall actually falls down
I think this is one of the most serious issues facing Donegal today because it shows how ordinary people are paying the price for mistakes made by others. The government’s response has been slow and, frankly, disappointing. They introduced a redress scheme, but it doesn’t cover 100% of the costs. Families are being forced to pay tens of thousands of euro just to rebuild homes that shouldn’t have failed in the first place. That’s simply not fair.
What do I want done about it? I want a full 100% redress scheme, with no hidden costs or catches. People should not have to pay a cent to fix homes that were ruined because of government failure to regulate building materials. I want stricter building standards so that something like this never happens again — not just in Donegal, but anywhere in Ireland. And I want real accountability for the companies that produced and sold those blocks, and for the officials who turned a blind eye while it happened.
But more than anything, I want empathy. I want people outside Donegal to understand that this isn’t just “a Donegal problem.” It’s a national scandal. It could have happened anywhere. It just happened to start here.
We, as young people, can’t vote for funding schemes or pass laws, but we can raise awareness. We can talk about it, share stories online, and make sure the issue doesn’t fade away once the news cameras leave. The people affected by Mica deserve to be heard, and it’s up to us to keep their voices alive.
So let’s stand with the families of Donegal. Let’s keep speaking up until every home is repaired, every family is compensated, and every lesson is learned. Because when cracks appear in our communities, it’s up to all of us to help mend them.
Thank you.