Campaigners for 100% redress for people in Donegal living in homes affected by defective concrete blocks have called on the county's council to provide refuge for families in the event of severe weather.
Following recent storms, the 100% Redress Party said Donegal County Council needs to develop an emergency plan in the event of further severe weather.
The party, which was registered last September, said that in January Storm Isha "wreaked havoc on the county, yet nothing was done by the council to provide refuge for fearful families living in crumbling homes".
The group said it cannot understand why "despite having prior notice of a red weather warning, the council didn't make provisions to open public buildings for terrified families to take refuge".
With global warming, the party says future storms are likely to become more severe and the risk of serious injury or worse, is likely to increase.
It said this is a particular concern for people living in homes which are structurally unsound due to defective concrete blocks.
The party says it is now calling on Donegal County Council to compile a database of homeowners and provide a text service to advise them when a weather alert is in place, and where to go to for safety.
During Storm Isha, Ali Farren, Public Relations Officer of the party, said that "as the storm raged, we had reports of terrified children having to be separated from their parents for safety".
"A parent told us that she moved her children from one side of the house to the "better side" as she was so terrified that the "bad gable" was going to come down.
"A pensioner contacted us saying that she was at home on her own and was traumatised by the sound of the wind battering against her crumbling walls.
"She felt the roof was going to come down on top of her as she lay in her bed. Sadly, homes are deteriorating rapidly and even on a normal weather day, families are living in fear."
Joy Beard, cofounder of the party which is planning on running candidates in this years local elections, said she was terrified in her home during the last storm.
"It was a scary night for everyone but to be in a defective block home during a status red weather warning was something I’ll never forget. I’m just relieved that everyone made it through unscathed, but I’m extremely worried about the next time.
"Will we be as lucky? Will it take a serious injury - or worse - before something is done about this disaster of a scheme that’s clearly not working."
The party says it is concerned that if applications for the current government scheme for affected homes are not fast tracked, and the scheme is not made more accessible, next winter houses will be in a lot worse condition.
It is calling for emergency funding to be more accessible and funds released more quickly.
Chair of the 100% Redress Party Tomas Devine said "we need the council to be more proactive in its thinking and develop an emergency plan for when the next severe weather event occurs."
