MPs Henk Nijboer and Sandra Beckerman are submitting amendments today during the discussion of the National Budget. They want people with the most serious cases of earthquake damage to be helped quickly.
The government recently presented the long-awaited elaboration to make damage and recovery more humane and easy. The causality principle is put aside up to 60 thousand euros. This means that specified cracks are recognized as damage, without the cause of earthquakes being determined. And therefore be compensated in kind. If you prefer money in hand, experts will come along.
Regardless of the question of whether people who have suffered damage should be allowed to decide for themselves whether they want to be compensated in kind or in money, it is certain that these schemes do not help the worst cases. After all, they sometimes cause up to many tons of damage. And remain out of reach of this scheme. We think that is bad and unfair.
The parliamentary inquiry described the suffering of the people of Groningen and North Drenthe in a matter-of-fact and sharp manner. And stated that Groningen residents have been subjected to a great injustice. In the meantime, countless fellow provinces are left behind with a deception. We are now almost 9 months after the presentation of the report and even today many people still have their fingers between procedural doors. Or worse, the whole family ends up in further destruction.
End hopelessness
The first priority must therefore be to end the hopelessness of these people. Many Groningen residents still do not know whether their house needs to be reinforced, demolition-new construction is necessary or whether it will still be declared safe. That uncertainty eats away at people. And leads to tension in village communities. One neighbor sees demolition-new construction as an attractive prospect. For the elderly couple, one of whom is already struggling with health, the prospect of moving twice and having to change homes seems like a nightmare. Clarity, understanding of personal circumstances, a reliable government: all this is still lacking for these people.
We also speak to people every day who remain stuck. Because procedures are extended. Clarity is lacking. Agreements are not kept. And unequal treatment is and remains rife.
That is why the absolute priority must be with these Groningen residents. Among the people with the greatest damage and most vulnerable buildings, who have been in uncertainty for the longest time. These are residents of very ordinary houses, but also old farms. The SMEs who have been missing turnover for years and still don’t know where they stand. The café owners who are forced to stay at home, tired and tired. The farmers with the broken manure cellars. The foundations that still haven’t been made. The people who have been visited by many experts but who still do not have their own reinforcement plan. And the countless people who continue to argue about who should pay the costs. They are also likely to face uncertainty in the coming years. Despite all the new programs and measures Nij Begun .
Amendments
During the budget discussion on Monday, October 16, we will therefore submit amendments to help the people with the worst damage first. And to reduce the continuing and worsening inequality in treatment. We also want people whose damage was not recognized in the past (the so-called B and C damage) to now have this recognition in accordance with the legal presumption of evidence and without the need to demonstrate causality.
But above all, we want justice to finally be done to our fellow provinces in greatest need. It’s already gone on far too long.
Groningen residents Henk Nijboer and Sandra Beckerman are members of the House of Representatives for the PvdA and the SP respectively.