Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of mica and pyrite, particularly in County Clare. There are 33 houses in the county that we know of that have been declared to have issues with pyrite. As the Cathaoirleach will be aware, pyrite is a harmful mineral found in quarries. Sadly, there are particular periods when houses were built from stone that contained this mineral. Over the past decade or so, in particular, many houses in County Clare had insulation installed and beads pumped into the walls. Unfortunately, when this mineral mixes with moisture, which happens particularly when people put insulation in their houses, it leads to expansion and cracking. In some cases, the houses are deemed unsuitable for habitation and have to be demolished.

There is an active pyrite support group in County Clare that has done a lot of work in this area. It wants the county to be included in the concrete block grant scheme that is available in counties Donegal and Mayo, particularly in parts of Ballina, County Mayo. There is a scheme in Limerick, which is essentially a pyrite grant but that only goes to a maximum of €70,000 and is only suitable for houses that have floors with pyrite. It is not appropriate or suitable in County Clare because most, if not all, of the 33 houses that have been declared to have pyrite will have to be demolished and rebuilt. A grant of €275,000, which is available to citizens and homeowners in counties Donegal and Mayo is what the action group in Clare wants. That is a reasonable request.

I have been in touch with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As yet, I have not had a significant response. I realise he has been busy with the budget and so on in recent times but this is an issue that will not just affect people in County Clare because there is no doubt that this exists in other counties as well. It would be appropriate that in the coming weeks the Leader would organise for the Minister to come in and take statements on this issue so that we can tease it out with him. Hopefully, we can achieve some justice and a resolution, particularly for the 33 homeowners in County Clare and the many other people who are affected.