Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Based upon the problem which we seem to have in areas of this country at the moment with pyrite and mica, would it not be the right thing to core test every house that will be retrofitted in this country before one retrofits it? The information coming back is showing that houses in certain areas would have a minimum amount of insulation in their cavities and when their cavities are pumped with insulation, this seems to cause the moisture to cross from one cavity to another, even though the material used is breathable. This is now causing issues and is accelerating the pyrite in houses that only have pyrite.

To protect people in their houses at the moment, and to protect the country and the taxpayer, would it not be the best thing for any house that is retrofitted with pumped insulation, to have a basic core test done? At the outset, I wish to state that I have been a contractor for over 30 years and have seen this from first-hand experience. That is one of the questions I would like to have answered because if it is proven in a number of years time that this retrofitting has accelerated the deterioration of houses that have pyrite, prevention would be better than cure. Can our witnesses go on the record here and tell me, please, if they believe it should be a recommendation that before any house is pumped with insulation, a core test should be done to provide results on any house to ensure that it does not have pyrite?