Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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658. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if Limerick City and County Council will be included in the pyrite remediation scheme; the eligibility criteria for same.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51182/19]

Eoghan 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 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.

The latest figures available indicate that 2,575 applications have been received under the pyrite remediation scheme. Of the 2,575 applications received so far, 2,100 dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme and the applicants notified accordingly.

A further 104 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, while another 192 applications are at the initial Application and Validation Process. 179 applications under the scheme were not successful.

Of the 2,100 dwellings that have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme:

125 are at remedial works planning stage,

13 are at tender / tender analysis,

145 are under remediation, and

1,817 are complete.

In regard to Limerick, my Department understands that the Pyrite Resolution Board is aware of pyrite in the hardcore in a number of dwellings in Limerick and is in the process of making a proposal to include Limerick City and County Council area in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.

Any amendments, which the Board consider are required to the scheme will be given full consideration should they be submitted to me in accordance with the requirements of the Act.