Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will reply to these issues on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan. I acknowledge the very difficult and distressing situation faced by the residents of Priory Hall who have been out of their homes for 12 months. I share the wishes of all concerned, and those who raised the issue in the Chamber, to see the matter resolved as quickly as possible.

A Supreme Court hearing on an appeal by Dublin City Council against an order to pay for accommodation, storage costs and ancillary costs of residents forced to vacate their apartments at Priory Hall had been scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 24 April 2012. However, on Friday, 20 April 2012, the Supreme Court agreed to adjourn these proceedings to allow for a conciliation process between the parties.

The conciliation process is being chaired by Mr. Justice Joseph Finnegan, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court and a former President of the High Court. I understand the resolution process, which seeks to identify a way forward to the complex problems at Priory Hall, remains ongoing between the relevant parties. I am not a party to the legal proceedings and I have no role or involvement in the conciliation process. Out of respect for the process approved by the Supreme Court, and for Mr. Justice Finnegan, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further. It is important that all concerned afford Mr. Justice Finnegan the opportunity to complete the task which he has been given. I cannot tell the House how long this process will take, and I ask Deputies to respect the process being undertaken by Mr. Justice Finnegan.

In his contribution, Deputy Broughan raised the pyrite issue, which I will also address. The pyrite report provides a comprehensive framework to move forward and provide effective solutions for home owners. The Minister's objective in setting up the pyrite panel was to assist home owners find a resolution to the pyrite problem, and his focus is now to ensure the recommendations are implemented in a way that delivers workable and practicable solutions for home owners.

Following receipt of the report of the independent pyrite panel in late June, the Minister met with the Construction Industry Federation, the Irish Concrete Federation, the Irish Insurance Federation, HomeBond and the Irish Banking Federation in July and outlined to them the pivotal role he believes they can play in providing a solution to the pyrite problem. All parties have now submitted their responses to the Minister's request for proposals for a voluntary industry-led solution for homeowners.

The Minister has made it abundantly clear on a number of occasions that in the absence of workable solutions from the stakeholders, he will consider an imposed solution along the lines recommended in the pyrite report. Recommendation 14 in the report recommends the establishment of a resolution board which could be funded by the construction, quarrying and related insurance sectors. The responses from the stakeholders are now being evaluated and together with the relevant recommendations in the pyrite report, will inform the development of proposals which will provide for a solution to the pyrite problem.

The report of the pyrite panel contains 24 recommendations and work is also progressing on the implementation of a number of other recommendations in the report. Recommendations in respect of the development of a mandatory certification system for buildings and a registration process for builders are currently being dealt with by the Department under the building control reform programme that the Minister announced last year. The Minister hopes to have revised building control regulations signed into law shortly. He has asked the National Standards Authority of Ireland to develop a testing and categorisation protocol for reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material and a method statement to provide guidance for the remediation of pyrite-damaged dwellings and this work has already commenced. So work is being done for the future but, unfortunately, Priory Hall and other issues that have been raised arose out of the way building was carried out in the past and we must make sure that never happens again. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to comment on what Justice Finnegan is doing and I do not have a timeframe in respect of it.

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