Mr. Damien Owens:

The key issue is that, when it was written, the standard focused on mica and pyrite as the mechanisms of deterioration.

Since then, samples were taken from homes and sent to laboratories for testing, and some of the results came back inconclusive. Strictly speaking, if testing against the standard, those homeowners are left in limbo because it could not be said with certainty that the deterioration of their properties was caused by the causes outlined in the standard. This gave rise to an exploration of mechanisms of the deterioration, which others here have alluded to. As we move forward, I understand research is ongoing by Geological Survey Ireland, GSI, and the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI. We need to progress it and bring it to a conclusion as quickly as possible. Some properties are now in the process of being demolished and remediated. That gives us a living laboratory. We can take samples from those properties and see what exactly the mechanism of deterioration is. Based on that knowledge, the standard could be amended and other mechanisms could be included.