Mr. Paudie Coffey, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, announced today (05 February 2015) that he has approved the extension of the pyrite remediation scheme to include dwellings located in the administrative areas of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils which may be affected by significant pyritic damage.

“Since the publication of the pyrite remediation scheme in February of last year, details have emerged of significant pyritic damage arising from the presence of pyrite in the sub-floor hardcore of a small number of dwellings located in the administrative areas of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils which is causing considerable distress and difficulty for the affected homeowners” said Minister Coffey.  “The inclusion of these areas into the scheme will now provide access to reasonable and sustainable solutions for those homeowners who have no other practicable options for redress.”

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The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provided for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.  The current pyrite remediation scheme was adopted in mid-February of 2014 and was prepared in accordance with the information available to the Board at that time and having regard to the detail set out in the Report of the Pyrite Panel in (July 2012).  It is a scheme of last resort and its application was initially restricted to the dwellings affected by significant pyritic damage in the five local authority areas identified in that report i.e. the administrative areas of Dublin City, Fingal, Kildare, Meath and Offaly County Councils.

Over the course of 2014, the Board were made aware that significant pyritic damage had been identified in a small number of dwellings located in an estate in South Dublin and also in a development in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.  Detailed information was gathered and assessed on the affected developments which led to the Board’s recommendation that the scheme be extended.  The Minister has now approved and directed the Board to make the amended scheme in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

Since the scheme commenced accepting applications in February 2014, the Board has received in the order of 630 completed applications of which 485 applications have been validated with some 300 approved for inclusion in the scheme.  Conscious of the difficulties being faced by affected homeowners, the validation and assessment of applications will continue to be addressed as quickly as individual circumstances allow.

Speaking earlier today, the Minister noted that “in the latter half of 2014, a pilot project involving the remediation of 5 dwellings was completed which provided a valuable insight into the complexities involved in pyrite remediation and how best these can be addressed in practical terms.  Arrangements are now well advanced by the Board, and their colleagues in the Housing Agency, to roll out several projects over the course of the year ahead.  Work will be advanced on the roll out of further projects into 2016.”

“I am confident that the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme over the next two years will restore the quality of pyrite damaged homes and ensure that affected homeowners can enjoy their homes in the comfort and safety in which they were originally purchased.” concluded Minister Coffey.

The amended pyrite remediation scheme will be available from the Board’s website shortly at www.pyriteboard.ie