Former An Post-Chainreaction rider, and now Everesting world record holder, Ronan McLaughlin is cycling from his native Donegal to Dublin today to join a protest against the mica scandal in his home county.
McLaughlin was on Tuesday afternoon on his way to Dublin by bike and when he arrives he was due to join the mica protest being held outside Dáil Eireann, sitting in the Convention Centre in Dublin's north inner city.
The former Irish international road rider is making the 250km journey by bike at the same time thousands of people are traveling by bus or car to Dublin from Donegal, which is the centre of the mica scandal.
Mica is a substance that can be used to make bricks, though construction bricks are only permitted to contain a very small amount of the substance. However, many homes built in Donegal were constructed using blocks containing far more mica than permitted under building regulations.
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As a result, the blocks are retaining water and houses
built from the blocks have been crumbling for years. While the mica scandal has
also impacted houses, and even public buildings such as schools, in Mayo,
Donegal has the biggest problem.
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On Tuesday the protest outside the Dáil is aimed at
pressuring the Government to cover 100 per cent of the cost of rebuilding the
mica homes. At present, a Government scheme is offering to cover 90 per cent of
the cost.
McLaughlin started his cycle from Buncrana and by the
time he reaches Dublin later today for the protest he will have 250km in his
legs.
“I am
cycling to raise awareness of the heartache
and neglect suffered by the people of
Donegal and Mayo,” McLaughlin said.
“Families
in Donegal and Mayo are suffering, show your support. If legislation can be
ignored, corruption ignored, and wronged families neglected in one part of the
country it can happen anywhere.
“Imagine paying a mortgage on a crumbling and
unsafe house while you are forced to live and sleep in a caravan.”
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