Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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496. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of known category 1 properties affected by pyrite; the average cost of remediation under the pyrite remediation scheme for each household and for each property type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20477/17]

Damien 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 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. 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.

Given that the scheme does not apply to dwellings which have a Damage Condition Rating of 1, the Board does not maintain records on the number of properties that fall into this category. Nevertheless, the Board is aware that 11 dwellings, which had a Damage Condition Rating of 1 when their building condition assessments were first completed, and which were refused under the scheme, have now progressed to a Damage Condition Rating of 2; these dwellings have now been included in the pyrite remediation scheme following the submission of new applications. Further information on the extent of the pyrite problem is provided in the  Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012).

In general terms, the cost of pyrite remediation is largely dependent on the dwelling type, the number of units in a project, the floor area of the dwellings, the depth of hardcore in the units and the presence or otherwise of under-floor heating systems. Against this background, remediation costs can vary significantly and may not always be directly comparable across projects. While my Department monitors overall expenditure under the scheme, the costs associated with individual projects are determined by on-going competitive procurement processes, which fall within the remit of the Housing Agency. However the average cost of remediation having regard to those dwellings already remediated, is some €59,000, inclusive of the allowances provided under the scheme for alternative accommodation, furniture removal and storage and Building Condition Assessments.