Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

As the Topical Issue matter suggests, I am looking for an exemption under section 4.4 of the household charge legislation to grant exemptions for homes affected by the pyrite epidemic that has befallen a large number of home owners, in Leinster primarily, over recent years, estimated at 20,000 homes across north Dublin, Meath, Kildare and parts of Louth. This also presents a significant health and safety risk to home owners because of the pyrite swell in the floor slab which can cause problems opening and closing doors and in itself requires considerable remedial work. I know from my experience with my own home that this work can take a number of weeks. I ask that the Minister of State would entertain the possibility of including these homes in the list of properties exempted from the household charge. The homes affected could be termed as being in unfinished estates because these in turn will become building sites to resolve the issue. My personal experience is that the work took eight weeks and I have heard of other cases where it has taken several months to complete the work. This means the estate is in fact a building site and is therefore unfinished. I ask the Minister of State to recognise that fact.

I wish to acknowledge the establishment of the pyrite panel which will allow the individuals in question to deliberate on the possibilities for dealing in future with properties affected by pyrite. I hope the advice given to the Minister of State by the pyrite panel would include a gesture by the Government to exempt these properties. In recent months, the Government which I support has taken considerable steps in recognising pyrite. We have done more in nine months than the previous Government did since the problem came to light in July 2007. This problem affects the constituencies of the two Ministers of State present in the Chamber and at least two of my colleagues beside me who represent constituencies where this issue is very prevalent. As a home owner living in an estate with this issue, I would welcome the Minister of State's recognition of that fact by a granting of this exemption.

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