Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 February 2010
31 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he has taken, regarding defective infill used in the building of homes, by builders (details supplied); the action he will take to prevent such defective infill being used again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9537/10]
View answerThe issue of pyrite was brought to the attention of my Department in mid 2007. Having consulted the statutory Building Regulations Advisory Body, my Department issued a circular letter (Ref. BC 6/2007) to each county manager and local building control authority on 16 August 2007 to bring the issue of pyrite to their notice and to request co-operation in the enforcement of the relevant requirements set out therein. The circular also brought to their attention a notice issued by Fingal County Council on 26 July 2007 on this matter.
Following an intervention from my Department, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) published a new amended standard recommendation on the use of aggregates as infill for civil engineering and road construction work. The new standard recommendation came into effect on 7 December 2007 and it is intended to address the quality standards of new homes and buildings in so far as problems relating to pyrite are concerned. My Department incorporated this NSAI Standard Recommendation into the relevant Technical Guidance Document (TGD-C) of the Building Regulations. A copy of the relevant amendment to TGD-C is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. My Department has also notified local authorities, the Construction Industry Federation, the Irish Home Builders’ Association and other key stakeholders of the provisions of the amended TGD-C. In addition, I am aware that HomeBond has included the amended NSAI Standard Recommendation in their published sixth edition of the House Building Manual.
Responsibility for compliance with the building regulations is a matter for the owner or builder of a building. Enforcement of the building regulations is the responsibility of individual building control authorities.
I am satisfied that the measures outlined represent an appropriate response by my Department to the issue. The resolution of problems arising between building owners and builders is a matter for the parties concerned, namely, the building owner, the relevant developer, and the builder's insurers. Where the construction of a building is the subject of a contract between the client — the housing authority in the case of publicly funded housing — and the builder, enforcement is a civil matter.
