Written answers

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Defective Building Materials

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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3348. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider a scheme to support farming families with MICA in their farm buildings in view of the Department of Education leading on a response to MICA in school buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39088/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of MICA in farm buildings has not been raised with my Department. In relation to capital investment works grant aided under TAMS II, all concrete blockwork purchased for TAMS grant aided projects require that “all blocks used shall be produced in a plant certified to EN 771-3:2011 and shall be CE marked” as provided for in Department Specification S101.

Walls in farm buildings and facilities and generally comprise either mass concrete, concrete blockwork or precast concrete. However, the vast majority of walls are the mass concrete version, with few comprised of concrete blockwork; farmers usually favour the use of mass concrete walls as do building contractors.

The standard EN 771-3:2011 referred to above does not explicitly refer to mica. Statutory Instrument No. 288 of 1949 sets a 1% at total limit for impurities such as pyrite and mica in concrete blocks. All manufacturers of concrete blockworks are required to abide by this limit.

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