Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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281. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to make more provision for the inclusion of level 1 homes in the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11954/17]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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The Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website (www.pyriteboard.ie).

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. In this regard, 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. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.

While dwellings with Damage Condition Ratings of 1 do not qualify under the scheme, some may be considered in accordance with the exceptional circumstance provisions set out in section 17 of the Act. Section 17 provides that exceptional circumstances may apply where:

- failure to include a dwelling with a Damage Condition Rating of 1 in the scheme may result in damage to a dwelling which is being remediated under the scheme, or

- pyrite remediation work is causing or may cause damage to the dwelling with the Damage Condition Rating of 1.

Where a dwelling with a Damage Condition Rating of 1 adjoins a dwelling with a Damage Condition Rating of 2, the Housing Agency will be notified and will consider if exceptional circumstances apply when the Remedial Works Plan is being drawn up; the Board will be informed of any recommendation for a decision in the matter.