Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he will take to assist homeowners whose properties have heave inducing pyrite, in terms of the establishment of a taskforce into the quarries which sold the infill, or measures to get the Construction Industry Federation to deal with the fact that Homebond has insufficient cover to deal with potential claims; and the changes he plans to bring to the building regulations to ensure that this does not happen again. [12275/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The current pyrite problems were first brought to the attention of my Department in mid-2007 and it acted quickly in taking appropriate action to address them.

Following an intervention from my Department, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) published a new amended Standard Recommendation on the use of aggregates as infill for civil engineering and road construction work. The new Standard Recommendation came into effect on 7 December 2007 and it addresses the quality standards of new homes and buildings in so far as problems relating to pyrite are concerned.

The Building Regulations set out the legal requirements for the construction of new buildings, including houses, and the related technical guidance documents provide guidance on how to comply with those regulations. The relevant Technical Guidance Document of the Building Regulations dealing with Site Preparation was amended to incorporate the revised NSAI Standard Recommendation.

In addition, I am aware that HomeBond, a private company which provides a ten-year structural guarantee for new houses, has included the amended NSAI Standard Recommendation in their published 6th edition of the house building manual.

I attach a high priority to consumer protection in the area of quality construction of new dwellings and I have asked my Department to prioritise the formulation of policy proposals that will enhance compliance with, and enforcement of, the building regulations generally.

I consider that the actions I have outlined above are appropriate responses in light of my Department's responsibilities and I do not think that the setting up of a task force is warranted or indeed would be useful in providing a resolution to the problem.

Undertaking remedial works to homes affected by pyrite is a matter for the parties concerned, namely the building owner, the relevant developer and the builder's insurers. Where the construction of a building is the subject of a contract between the client and the builder enforcement is a civil matter.

I understand that following lengthy court proceedings in relation to a number of homes affected by pyrite in north Dublin, a settlement was recently reached and a trust fund established to enable remedial works to be carried out to those houses. Other legal proceedings are currently in progress.

The Construction Industry Federation is a representative body for business involved in the construction industry and HomeBond is a private company. I have no function in relation to either of these bodies.