Written answers

Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Pyrite Remediation Programme Expenditure

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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668. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the cost of the pyrite remediation scheme; and the portion borne which has been covered by a company (details supplied) and his Department. respectively. [31282/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013, provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the creation of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope.

Some €2.2 million was provided to the Housing Agency in 2014 to meet expenditure incurred under the scheme in respect of design work, contractors, expenses to homeowners, operational costs, the administrative costs to the Housing Agency and the remediation of a number of dwellings in the final quarter of that year.

An additional sum of €10 million was made available in Budget 2015 to fund the operation of the scheme in 2015. A further 148 dwellings had remedial works completed under the scheme in 2015.

An allocation of €19 million was provided for the pyrite remediation scheme in Budget 2016 to meet activity under the scheme in 2016. Sanction for a further €7.6 million to support additional activity under the scheme last year was granted in August 2016. Some 400 dwellings were remediated under the scheme in 2016.

A sum of €22 million was announced under Budget 2017 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2017, of which €15.9 million has already been drawn down by the Housing Agency. This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 400 additional dwellings this year and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.

In the context of the pyrite remediation scheme, an agreement was reached between the Pyrite Resolution Board and the company referred to by the Deputy in June 2014, under which the company agreed to contribute technical and project management services to the Board to the value of €2 million. Such services include assisting in organising and managing the testing of dwellings and project management of remediation contracts. The company has also agreed to make available to the Pyrite Resolution Board/Housing Agency the results of testing undertaken by it prior to the operation of the scheme.

A Supplemental Agreement has been signed with the company for dealing with structural defects not related to pyritic heave, which are identified prior to or during the course of pyrite remediation works. In such cases, it will, under the Supplemental Agreement, make an appropriate contribution towards the cost of such structural works.

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