Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether the draft NSAI pyrite testing and categorisation protocol will increase the cost of inspections; and if this will lead to categorisation of more damaged houses as amber and delay the necessary remedial works at a time when the structural guarantee liability period is running out for money of the home owners. [54250/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In its report the Pyrite Panel recommended that an industry expert group be established by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to develop an Irish testing protocol capable of determining whether there is reactive pyrite in the sub-floor material and if it has caused pyritic heave. A number of companies and consultancies have developed testing protocols to meet their own particular needs with the costs varying from €1,000 to €5,000 depending on the complexities of the tests involved. In asking the NSAI to undertake work in relation to the development of a protocol for testing and categorisation, it was made aware of the Panel’s view, with which I concur, that the protocol should be sufficiently comprehensive to allow for the categorisation of dwellings, but should also be cost effective to reduce the financial burden on householders.

I understand that the technical committee established by NSAI to assist with the development of the testing and categorisation protocol is a broad based committee which draw s on the expertise on pyrite developed in Ireland over the past five years to establish testing and categorisation criteria. NSAI has launched a period of public enquiry from the 27 of November 2012 until the 17 December 2012 in respect of I.S. 398: Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol and I.S. 398: Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 2: Methodology for remediation works. This facilitates the submission by the public of comment on the draft protocol which will be considered by the relevant committee before final decisions are made.