The State will "go after" those involved in building homes affected by mica issues to seek money to fix and rebuild the properties, the Housing Minister has said.
The final bill for dealing with the scandal could come to over €1.5 billion.
Around 5,000 homes are estimated to be affected by the defective blocks, primarily in the North west and west, although that number could be even higher.
Thousands of people demonstrated in Dublin yesterday, calling for 100% redress for those who need to fix or rebuild their homes.
The Government has committed to changing and improving the current redress scheme for impacted homeowners, acknowledging that more is needed.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said banks, insurers, builders and product providers have a role to play in rectifying the problem too.
He said: “I’ve visited homeowners in Donegal. [Mica] is an absolute scourge - [it's] just devastating… homes are crumbling.
“We’ve asked the Attorney General to look at options here. I think there’s a major issue here around accountability and responsibility - not just the poor product that was supplied, but also about the response of other stakeholders. I’d say this about the insurance sector and indeed the banking sector.
“Many of the homes that will be fixed have mortgages on them, and those properties are seen as assets. The State will make those assets good… but I think there’s an issue there for the banks to be looked at. That has to be dealt with… they do share responsibility here in my view.
“I don’t think they can just stand by and see the State fix it. [Although] the State does have a big role here… in many instances, we’re going to have to replace homes.”
Minister O'Brien said around a third of homes affected by the issue surveyed so far will have to be demolished, and all stakeholders must "step up to the mark" in meeting the substantial costs of these repair works.
He said the immediate concern is people's safety, but he's closing "no door" when it comes to looking at ways for different groups to play their role financially.
He said: “If the State can then go after, so to say, for some of those costs, I think we should.
“It’s down to poor product, poor delivery of that product, and poor construction of that product. That is the responsibility of those that delivered those products.”
He also committed that work is ongoing to look at issues around apartments impacted by structural issues, saying he "hasn't forgotten" about them.
