Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2021
358. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has received an application from Clare County Council for a pyrite and mica defective block remediation scheme in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1314/21]
View answerMy Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.
My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered the same rigorous analysis as that put in place prior to the rollout of the scheme to the counties of Donegal and Mayo would have to be undertaken. Therefore, my Department has asked Clare County Council to demonstrate that any issues are in fact due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks, as set out in the relevant statutory protocol, and secondly quantify the likely extent of the problem in the county. Such analysis will provide the evidential basis necessary for the consideration of any extension of the scheme. Pending the receipt of such analysis it would be premature to consider an extension of the scheme.
