Kildare home owners await State pyrite report
Ruth Beirne shows the serious subsidence and crack in the floor at the back door entrance illustrating the problem the pyrite is causing at her home at Millrace Manor, Staplestown, Donadea. Photo Tony Keane.
A number of households in Kildare, affected by pyrite damage to their homes, are anxiously awaiting the report of a Government commission, for a solution to a problems which has affected thousands of homes throughout the country.
The establishment of a commission late last year came after construction industry insurance scheme, Home Bond, said it would not replace homes damaged by the use of pyrite in building of houses.
The material expands and causes structural damage.
While not many have spoken openly about their own home problems, it is believed there are problems, if not many, in some sections of the county, including Leixlip, Enfield, Clane, Donadea, Carbury and Kilcock.
On 14 March, the Pyrite Action Group, sent a report to the Minister, in which they sought a number of assurances, including details on proposed funding of the repairs, urgent reform of the building regulations and standards as well as an exemption from the household charge for home owners affected by pyrite.
Kildare North TD, Catherine Murphy, who spoke on the matter on RTE’s Prime Time last week told the Leader on Saturday that she believed that the commission report is likely to put responsibility on the construction industry in the broadest sense.
The only construction solution is the removal of the material, which would involve the relocation of householders and that could take eight weeks.
Kildare based, Sandra Lewis, from Carbury, who with her husband, is the contact point for the Pyrite Action Group of victims. The group presented their case at the Joint Oireachtas Committee Meeting on the 11 October last year.in the Dail. It made another a submission to the Minister on 14 March.
Ms Lewis, and her family, are now living in Carbury, because they had to move out of their north Dublin apartment due to pyrite problems.
She told the Leader this week there is a lot of anger over a situation where nobody seems responsible and structural warranties, thought believed to be sufficient by householders, have proved insufficient.
The court has pointed a finger at a Northern Ireland company, whose quarries supplied the material in the first instance.
But when company law, private industry legal and insurance arrangements did not provide a solution to the unfortunate householders, the Government set up the commission.
Some builders have tried to fix the problem but others either cannot or will not do so, for a variety of reasons, including financial or company liquidation problems.
Deputy Murphy also told the Leader that research is needed on the pyrite problem.
- Henry Bauress
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