Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Pyrite Issues

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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42. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the analysis his Department has conducted on the number of properties with pyrite which do not reach a damage condition rating of 2; and his proposals to deal with these. [11181/16]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme by the Pyrite Resolution Board for certain dwellings affected by significant pyrite damage. The Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012) provided the overarching framework for the pyrite remediation scheme and its eligibility criteria are reflective of the conclusions and recommendations of that report. The independent Pyrite Panel was clear in its view that only dwellings with significant damage due to pyritic heave should be remediated and that it would be unreasonable to expect dwellings not exhibiting such damage to be remediated unless or until they exhibit significant pyritic damage. This remains the position with regard to dwellings which do not display significant pyritic damage.

The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. It is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.

While dwellings with a Damage Condition Rating of 1, or a 1 with progression, do not qualify under the scheme, some may be considered for inclusion at a later stage if the Board is satisfied that exceptional circumstances apply in accordance with the provisions of section 17 of the Act. My Department also understands that, in a number of cases, dwellings which had a Damage Condition Rating of 1 when their Building Condition Assessments were first completed have now progressed to a Damage Condition Rating of 2; these dwellings have now been included in the pyrite remediation scheme.

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