Mr. John Wickham:

The emergence of the questions around pyrrhotite came much later, after the publication of the standard. In fact, it probably would have been the summer of 2021 when, due to the application of IS 465 with a common protocol for testing and diagnosis, a body of evidence presented itself. That would have come from petrographers and those involved in laboratory services. Previously, what was available in 2017 would have been the emergence of homeowners' issues, given they had engaged with particular laboratories at the time. The science had evolved substantially since then. In fact, in April 2021, once the IS 465 protocol became stable, the Department, through our partners in Geological Survey Ireland, commissioned an open call for research, fulfilling a commitment from the report of the expert panel to improve knowledge on defective concrete blocks and deleterious materials. A substantial amount of money was made available to fund research but nothing came forward from anybody in particular with respect to concrete blocks or pyrrhotite.