Clare Daly
Question:242. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will engage with the Irish Insurance Federation and direct it to insure dwellings which have pyrite. [38615/14]
View answerThursday, 9 October 2014
Questions (242)
Written answers
The Irish Insurance Federation, now known as Insurance Ireland, is a representative body for insurance providers operating in the Irish market. As is the case with any private organisation, its operations are matters for its management and board of directors and I have no powers to direct them to take a particular course of action.
While I have no regulatory function in the area of insurance or insurance-based products, it is my intention to raise this issue with the appropriate statutory bodies and Government Departments involved in the regulation and oversight of insurance and I will be fully supportive of any proposals that may be put forward to bring a satisfactory conclusion to the difficulties being faced by homeowners with pyrite damage even when remediation works have been carried out.
The pyrite remediation scheme, which was published by the Pyrite Resolution Board in February 2014, was developed having regard to the recommendations set out in the Report of the independent Pyrite Panel. The scheme is one of “last resort” and applies to dwellings with significant pyritic damage. The scheme is fundamentally a works scheme aimed at remediating pyrite damaged homes to Irish Standard 398-2:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material — Part 2: Methodology for remediation works, published by the National Standards Authority of Ireland in January 2013, in order to ensure the restoration of quality to homes that affected homeowners expect and are entitled too.
All works under the scheme will be completed to the required standard by competent builders and overseen by construction professionals in accordance with the requirements of the Board and the Housing Agency. At the end of the works, homeowners will be provided with certification to confirm that their home has been remediated to I.S. 398:2013 – Part 2. Given that the contaminated hardcore will be removed and replaced with compliant material, and all damage remediated, I am confident that any risk to the structural integrity of such remediated homes caused by pyritic heave will be eliminated, thereby removing any impediment towards the future insurance of these homes.
In this context, I would call on all insurance providers to re-consider their policies in these matters and provide the insurance cover that affected homeowners require in order to ensure that their homes are protected against future unforeseen risk.