Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 February 2014
495. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if financial support will be made available for homes with pyritic heave that are deemed not to be significantly damaged following assessment by the Pyrite Resolution Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9588/14]
View answer496. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way in which pyrite damaged homes will be assessed by the Pyrite Resolution Board in relation to eligibility for financial support from the board; if only houses with significant damage will be supported; the way a property is classified as being significantly damaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9592/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 496 together.
The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme by the Pyrite Resolution Board for certain dwellings affected by significant pyrite damage. The report of the independent Pyrite Panel provides the framework for the remediation scheme and the eligibility criteria are reflective of the conclusions and recommendations of the report. The Panel was clear in its view that only dwellings with significant damage due to pyritic heave should be remediated and that it would be unreasonable to expect dwellings not exhibiting such damage to be remediated.
In this context, I have recently approved the draft pyrite remediation scheme prepared by the Board in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Act; the Board will begin to accept applications from homeowners affected by pyritic damage from 26 February 2014. The full conditions of eligibility of the scheme are set out in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme which is available on the Board’s website – www.pyriteboard.ie. The scheme sets out the full detail of each of the stages involved in the process from the making of an application through to completion of the remediation works.
While the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the definition for “significant pyritic damage”, which correlates to the definition contained in the Irish Standard 398-1:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material - Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol as published by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, it also makes provision to enable the Board to set the damage condition rating within the meaning of “significant pyritic damage” for the purpose of including dwellings in the scheme. The scheme as now made provides for the remediation of dwellings with a damage condition rating of 2.
