Mr. Paul Forde:

I thank the Senator. Mr. O'Connell might like to contribute and Mr. Owens might also but if I can go back, and I am sorry to repeat this, the review by the NSAI that has now commenced of foundations, involving testing, sampling and then reporting, will be scientifically-based, so that will be the ultimate arbiter of this. I do not speak for Mr. O'Connell but I think he is of a similar view. We have stated our experience and that is what it is.

Going back to the Senator's engineering background, he is spot on. If the blockwork is 7 N and the foundations are 35 N, it is largely because of the cement content. The foundation is a much denser element than the quite porous blockwork and the opportunity for moisture and so on to penetrate to the aggregate is much less than the foundation. Hence, we would expect the foundations to be significantly more resistant to attack. Mr. O'Connell might like to add to that.