Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Keyes for coming along today. I come from the pyrite capital of the country and am very interested in whoever runs the board. Most pyrite has occurred in Fingal because of the quarries located there. There are three or four estates in Mulhuddart, where I live, within a proximity of 100 m, that are riddled with pyrite, including my estate.

I first became aware of this problem in 2008 or 2009. The first public meeting was held on the night of the big snowfall in November 2009. We advertised a public meeting in the estate to know whether pyrite was the problem people were experiencing. When snow falls in Ireland the country shuts down but 50 people came, even though they thought the meeting was going to be cancelled. Even within our estate of Castlecurragh, 38 houses were fixed. Houses all around me are being fixed. The problem raised of one house here or there is happening everywhere because there is no advertising campaign by the Pyrite Resolution Board, something I requested several years ago, to explain to people what pyrite is and the need to apply quickly. I went to see the builder last summer. He was working on a whole block because it happened that everyone there had applied. It was the only block where everyone had applied. Some people are still not aware of this problem. That builder said it is bad practice for him to come in to fix one house and fix the house next door a year later. That is ludicrous. He could lift up all the houses for much less if the State was serious about this and not just about saving money initially. The work could be done so much more cheaply.

It is fine that the individuals have to get their own reports but there is no attempt to advise people. People in my estate still do not know. That is something Mr. Keyes needs to consider. I do not know why there is no explanation of the process on television or social media rather than people being obliged to approach their Deputies. I think that is why the board is getting 30 applications a month. In the report we received in advance of the meeting we were told that since the board was set up there have been 1,494 applications in total. That is a drop in the ocean. There are 700 units in my estate. I am not saying they all have pyrite but 100 or 200 might. There was a single application from 31 developments. There is hardly only one house in those estates with pyrite. The board needs to address the advertising immediately. Some people are attempting to conceal the fact that there is pyrite in their estate.

I understand that, but it is in no one's interest. What is in everyone's interest is that this gets fixed. It took seven years of campaigning by communities, in respect of which the Pyrite Action Group should get a great deal of credit.

The fund was initially to have been €50 million a year and a levy was to be placed on the construction sector to pay for it. The CIF and the insurance sector threatened constitutional challenges and, quietly, the then-Minister, Mr. Phil Hogan, dropped the levy. Generally speaking, it has been €10 million annually as a result although I see there was more last year as, perhaps, more people have become aware. There is meant to be €50 million, however. We could get all of the pyrite fixed if the fund was put in place and advertised. That would get this done quickly rather than via the piecemeal approach being taken.

The issue of stage 1 and stage 2 pyrite is really important. For example, I live in an estate where there is pyrite. I have some pyrite but it is not enough to get it fixed. While it is not causing me a problem, people who want to sell their houses are stuck in this incredibly difficult situation. It is not the case, as might have been said earlier, that every case will develop. It is very unlikely because the estate is 15 years old and usually it develops within ten years, albeit it is not ruled out that it might take more time. Having been to so many houses, I am nearly an expert on it and that is what I have been told. People like me and other residents who have contacted me, like the woman who was on "Morning Ireland" a couple of weeks ago, are in a difficult situation in that they may have had amber certification. They do not have enough pyrite to get it fixed but they can also not sell their houses. While that is fine if they want to rent out the houses, people have to move on. Not everyone wants to be a landlord.

This is now the biggest issue facing the pyrite board. Where there is enough to get it fixed, that is fine. It will be fixed. However, I am now worried about all of the other people who do not have enough to get it fixed. We have to move on and start addressing that issue. Does Mr. Keyes have any solutions for those people? Mr. Keyes is from Cavan and I do not know if there have been any pyrite issues there at all. To the best of my knowledge, there have not. The problem has been in Dublin, Meath and some other parts of the country. Mr. Keyes may not have experience on it although he may be able to develop an understanding given his engineering background, which is clearly very helpful. I am concerned to ensure that he goes out very quickly to the estates where this is happening. He is very welcome to come to Castlecurragh where I passed JCBs and other equipment as I was leaving. This is a real problem for people living in estates with pyrite but who do not have enough to get it fixed. What are they to do? They are stuck in this limbo. If the construction levy had been imposed, there would be enough to fix all of the houses. At the very least, something needs to be developed whereby homeowners can get a certificate to say that pyrite will not develop as a problem.