Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Independent Group, I wish Noel Murphy well in his retirement.

The defective block issue in Donegal runs and runs. We have read reports this week in local newspapers of a bizarre situation where a semi-detached house was demolished while the adjoining house was left standing because of the way the scheme has been allowed to operate in the county. Thankfully, we now have a peer-reviewed study by several academics, including Dr. Andreas Leeman, an expert on concrete issues and Professor Paul Dunlop, himself a defective blocks sufferer. The study clearly shows that pyrite, pyrrhotite and other substances are the cause of defective block issue. The National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, needs to take that on board. Will the Tánaiste contact the NSAI as a matter of urgency to ensure it amends IS 465:2018 to reflect this? This is vital if the defective block householders are to get an adequate response.

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