Mr. Damien Owens:

I thank the Senator. I will ask Mr. O'Connell to come in after me. I refer to the testing of the new scheme having started in earnest and core samples having been sent away. Members should not forget the core samples are tested primarily in laboratories in the UK. As I mentioned, those laboratories are now being swamped by the volume of tests they are getting. The delay in getting results back is creeping up to several months. As the results came back, it became obvious that there may be other mechanisms of deterioration and materials within those concrete blocks. Going forward, we need research into the mechanisms of deterioration and the materials that are being found. The NSAI is starting work on that We are in a unique position here. The demolition of several properties has been commenced, so we can get a full range of samples from across the property - not just the outside walls - to see where the deterioration is happening.

If we do that and have sufficient numbers of samples, and we need large numbers because, as was mentioned earlier, we should not make decisions based on very small samples, and if we can get enough samples characterised and tested, we should be able to produce characterisation graphs so that we know if there is a particular material in the block and a particular moisture level, we can predict its mechanism failure. By virtue of that, one would be able to say how a property might behave or where it is on that deterioration path, and use something rigorous and based on evidence to guide our behaviours and our responses to the deterioration.

I will hand over to my colleague, Mr. O'Connell, for his view.