Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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39. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will undertake a comprehensive review of the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme; if he will address common problems and difficulties that have emerged, in particular relating to the need for a more flexible approach to dwellings that have a building condition assessment of less than 2 and the approach taken when other structural problems, including fire safety issues, emerge as part of the remediation. [37239/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The pyrite remediation scheme, which was first published by the Pyrite Resolution Board in February 2014, was developed having regard to, inter alia, the recommendations set out in the (July 2012) and the relevant provisions of the . The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme, which is available on the Board’s website at . It is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment, carried out by a competent person in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material - Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol, indicating a Damage Condition Rating of 2. There are no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.

While a review of the pyrite remediation scheme is not under consideration, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has commenced a review of I.S. 398 -1:2013 in the light of practical experience since the standard was first introduced in January 2013. This standard sets out the national procedures for the assessment of pyritic damage and for the testing of pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material of dwellings and is a key document in both the operation of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 and the pyrite remediation scheme.

The NSAI's current programme indicates that this initial stage of the review, which involves the gathering of submissions from an expert committee established for the purposes of the review, should be completed by end 2015. I understand that t he expert committee, having considered the review submissions, will then make recommendations for the NSAI's consideration regarding an appropriate course of action; this may include either a recommendation to leave the standard unchanged or a recommendation in support of a programme for the revision of the standard. Subject to the recommendations being accepted by the NSAI, a work programme will be prepared for implementation by the expert committee.

A review of I.S. 398 -2:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material - Part 2: Methodology for remediation worksis also scheduled and will follow a similar programme.