In the following Dáil exchange the ongoing plight of home-owners affected by Mica in Co. Donegal is put to the new Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly T.D. The Minister is asked if he has met with the Donegal Mica Action group and if he would consider establishing a scheme for affected consumers affected by defective materials similar to the Pyrite Resolution scheme already in operation. The Minister states that he does not intend to amend the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 or extend the Pyrite Resolution Board powers to investigate the alleged use of defective blocks in the construction of the houses in Co. Donegal.
He suggests that “In general, building defects are matters for resolution between the relevant contracting parties…and in the event that the parties cannot reach a settlement by negotiation the option of seeking redress in the Courts can be considered. It may also be the case that some of the homes affected are covered by a structural guarantee / structural insurance and homeowners may wish to pursue this avenue for redress.”