Written answers

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Pyrite Remediation Programme

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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290. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 362 of 6 October 2020, if he will extend the pyrite remediation scheme to County Clare as the submission has now been received and he recently extended the scheme to County Limerick. [42032/20]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the 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.

Any proposal to amend the scheme is, in the first instance, a matter for the Pyrite Resolution Board and any such proposal would require detailed consideration of the evidence. The recommendations of the Pyrite Panel, which informed the establishment of the pyrite remediation scheme, were premised on a number of pertinent factors.

As a minimum, in order to consider the appropriateness or otherwise of amending the scheme, I understand that the Board would require a report addressing the following information:

­the extent and severity of damage to dwellings in the local authority area caused by pyritic heave in the subfloor hardcore;

- verification, if available, that the damage has been caused by pyrite;

- the background to the occurrence of the damage;

- details of any structural warranty policies for the dwellings;

- the history of the estate’s construction, numbers, type of dwellings etc;

- the source of the hardcore supplied to dwellings in the estate; and

- any supporting geological assessments.

In addition to the above, the Board may also make such further enquiries as it considers necessary in order to assist it in considering the matter. In this regard, it would be advisable for the residents to confirm the nature of the pyrite problems in the area and that any problems identified stem from reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material which is giving rise to pyritic heave and consequential significant pyritic damage.

As I understand it, no such report or submission has been received by the Board in respect of pyrite in the hardcore in dwellings in County Clare.

I would encourage the relevant parties to fully engage with the Board, which is independent in the performance of its functions, as early as possible to facilitate this process. The Board may be contacted by phone at Lo call 1890 252842 or by email to: info@pyriteboard.ie , or alternatively at: oireachtasinfo@pyriteboard.ie.

I will consider any amendments or extensions which the Pyrite Resolution Board consider are required to the Scheme once submitted to me in accordance with the requirements of the Act. I fully intend on ensuring that ultimately all eligible homeowners of dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave can have their homes remediated under the scheme.

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