Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

Tonight is the start of the disclosure of one of the greatest catastrophes to hit this country following the bank crisis. I do not say that lightly. HomeBond, which is in trouble, has confirmed that it has received claims from the owners of 20,000 houses with pyrite. At one stage pyrite reached Canada and is also a problem in England. Some 20,000 people have lodged claims with HomeBond which is not in a position to pay to get these houses fixed properly. The builders involved - most of them very good builders - have disclosed that their insurance companies do not cover pyrite.

I know Members of this House do not really know what pyrite is. Pyrite is a substance used in filling, which when it reaches a different atmosphere swells like gypsum. It brings all with it, including floors and walls. There is only one solution, which is for these floors to be taken up and the fill removed and replaced. I got involved with one family 12 months ago and have seen it from start to finish. Other builders have tried to do the same. HomeBond has 20,000 confirmed claims. It is far more epidemic here than in any other country.

We have no choice but to set up a committee organised by the Minister. People are coming home every night to witness further deterioration in their houses. There is no money to fix it. They do not have the money themselves to even do the proper tests to determine the level of pyrite. I have a list of projects, which I will not read out, paid for by the State that will reach the same conclusion. I ask the Minister for Transport to call in representatives of the NRA to discuss the issue of the M3. I asked the question nine months ago and got a bad answer. I am proud of the M3 and want to see it opened. The M5 in England had to be closed because of this problem. Up to last week material was still being excavated from quarries that have far in excess of the 1% pyrite allowed. Some quarries in Counties Dublin and Meath have levels of 6% and 7%. This is an environmental and financial disaster. I ask for somebody to take note of this immediately because it is not going to go away. Tonight is just the start of what we will witness in the next five or six years where people are losing their homes and nobody is there to protect them.

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