Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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141. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of houses which have been selected for hard core testing, had a second test done and been refused entry into the pyrite remediation scheme. [28926/16]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The , which was first published by the Pyrite Resolution Board in February of 2014, was developed having regard to the relevant provisions of the and the recommendations set out in the (June 2012).

The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme. 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.

As set out in the scheme, each application must first be validated by the Pyrite Resolution Board which involves an assessment of the application against the relevant eligibility criteria, and may include an audit of the Building Condition Assessment. Following validation, the application is referred to the Housing Agency for the assessment and verification stage which involves confirmation that the damage recorded in the Building Condition Assessment in respect of a dwelling is attributable to pyritic heave. Damage verification may be based on an individual dwelling or on associated dwellings. Associated dwellings may be verified on the basis of comparable damage and/or earlier tests with similar results.

The Housing Agency has established a methodology in relation to a testing programme for cases where earlier test results are not available. Testing of the hardcore material is carried out in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013. My Department understands from the Housing Agency that approximately 210 dwellings have been selected for testing under the pyrite remediation scheme of which circa 16 dwellings have had a second test carried out. At this point in time, my Department is not aware of any dwellings that have been excluded from the pyrite remediation scheme on the results of testing .