Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the thrust of the Deputy's argument. As he correctly noted, this is a serious a problem. I stress, however, that the Minister established the independent panel in June 2011 and it did not report until earlier this year. He has held a number of significant meetings with all of the stakeholders and insists that responsibility for meeting the costs of addressing the pyrite problem rests with those who built or insured the homes in question. The Minister is committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible.

One of the proposals in the pyrite report is to establish a resolution committee to address all outstanding issues. This will provide a fail-safe mechanism in the event that problems in certain houses are not addressed. The Minister is establishing a body which will deal effectively with any issues that may yet arise. This will provide closure for families. The Minister is working extremely hard to resolve this matter and whatever needs to be done will be done. If possible, however, it is better to have a voluntary, agreed process.

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