Written answers

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 720 of 16 January 2013, in relation to possible time limits on remediation of houses experiencing damage by heave inducing pyrites and that such a time limit is of immediate concern to thousands of families living in estates known to have heave-inducing levels of pyrite in the underfloor fill and whose houses are damaged but not yet sufficiently damaged to trigger remediation under the proposed traffic light categories and that his response states that houses in the Amber category may be considered, if he will outline the circumstances whereby these houses would not be remediated. [5566/13]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In its report the independent Pyrite Panel recommended that only dwellings with significant damage due to pyritic heave (confirmed by testing) should be remediated. The report set out the basis for this recommendation. It also recommended that dwellings which have no significant damage but have reactive pyrite in the hardcore (confirmed by testing) should be monitored and only remediated if they display significant damage due to pyritic heave.

Following a consultative process which included a public enquiry period, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) published two Irish Standards, I .S. 398 – Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1 and Part 2 , on 29 January 2013. Part 1 - testing and categorisation protocol sets out the process to be followed to determine whether or not a building is or may be affected by reactive pyrite in the hardcore material. This will facilitate the categorisation of dwellings and provide clarity for the homeowner in determining the appropriate course of action to be taken, remediation or monitoring.

The scope and terms of the proposed remediation scheme will be developed by the Pyrite Resolution Board in conjunction with my Department. The recommendation in the pyrite report that only dwellings categorised as red should be remediated will inform this work; it is not proposed that dwellings categorised as amber should be remediated.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.