Written answers

Tuesday, 10 July 2018

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Pyrite Remediation Programme

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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939. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a full review of the pyrite remediation scheme will be carried out with a view to including all homes with a category 1 rating in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30663/18]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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940. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the definition of the exceptional circumstances clause when accessing appeals of refusals for applications to the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30664/18]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 939 and 940 together.

The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.

The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks. 

The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress 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. 398-1:2017 - 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 the 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.

Where a dwelling, otherwise not eligible for inclusion in the scheme, adjoins a dwelling already included in the scheme, such a dwelling 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 in the scheme may result in damage to that dwelling or damage to the dwelling being remediated under the scheme, or

- pyrite remediation work is causing or may cause damage to a dwelling.

The Housing Agency will consider if exceptional circumstances apply when the Remedial Works Plan is being drawn up and the Board will be informed of any recommendation for a decision in the matter.  To date, no dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme under the exceptional circumstances provisions of the Act.

My Department is in regular contact with the Board and the Housing Agency in relation to the implementation of the scheme and is satisfied with the arrangements that are currently in place, including in relation to appeals.

The latest figures available indicate that a total of 2,107 applications have been received under the pyrite remediation scheme.  Of the 2,107 applications received so far, 1,656 dwellings have been included in the scheme and the applicants notified accordingly.

A further 87 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, while another 233 applications are at the initial Application and Validation Process. 131 applications under the scheme were not successful.

Of the 1,656 dwellings that have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme:

- 217 are at remedial works planning stage,

- 43 are at tender / tender analysis,

- 269 are under remediation, and 

- 1,127 are complete. 

A sum of €30 million was announced under Budget 2018 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme this year. This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 430 additional dwellings and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.

Ultimately, the Pyrite Resolution Board, together with the Housing Agency, will arrange for all eligible dwellings to be remediated to a high standard and at no additional cost to the affected homeowners. Remediation works will continue to be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity having regard to the existing demands of the scheme and the optimum use of available resources.

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