Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to the House. I have had a great deal of correspondence from citizens throughout the eastern region regarding the pyrite remediation scheme that was announced earlier this year. Like everybody, I welcomed that undertaking by the Government to take action to address this issue. However, I was somewhat surprised during the summer when I discovered that legislation was required to implement the pyrite levy and the remediation works for home owners. I am concerned that this legislation has not yet been published.

There were mixed messages from Government yesterday. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, announced that the legislation would be published next week. However, the Taoiseach, in reply to my party leader in the Dáil, did not give the same commitment and offered little comfort to the many home owners concerned about the issue. People whose houses are affected by pyrite are at their wits' end and the problem is getting worse on a daily basis. There is an obligation on the Government to act with urgency. I acknowledge the progress that has been done to date, including by our late colleague, Shane McEntee, who, as Minister of State, did great work. However, I am very concerned by the prospect of further delays.

Several housing estates affected by pyrite have been fixed in the recent past, as has been well documented in the media. That effort has created considerable expertise in this area; we have people in this country who know how to do these jobs very quickly. I urge the Government to avail of that expertise to ensure the work is completed as speedily as possible. At the same time, I urge people whose homes are affected by pyrite to contact their local representatives or the Pyrite Resolution Board. There is an element of heads being buried in the sand, which is understandable. People are worried sick if there is any hint of pyrite in their home, but they must be encouraged to register with the Pyrite Resolution Board so that the problem can be addressed. I hope the Minister of State will have some positive developments to report on this issue.