A DONEGAL Deputy has called on the Government to ensure National Standards Authority of Ireland takes on board new study on defective blocks.
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on Government to ensure the National Standards Authority of Ireland takes on board a new study that shows pyrite, pyrrhotite and other substances are the cause of the defective blocks issue.
Deputy Pringle was referring to a peer-reviewed study, published by Andreas Leemann, an expert in concrete issues who has worked with Professor Paul Dunlop, himself a defective block sufferer.
The study clearly shows that pyrite and pyrrhotite and other substances are the cause of the defective block issue.
Addressing the Tánaiste in the Dáil today, Deputy Pringle said, “The defective block issue in Donegal runs and runs. We have seen this week in the local papers the bizarre situation where a semi-detached house was demolished and the other house left standing because of the way the scheme is being allowed to operate in the county.
“The National Standards Authority of Ireland needs to take this new study on board,” he said.
The deputy raised the issue with the Tánaiste during questions on policy or legislation. He referred to a recent study in the June 2023 issue of the journal, Cement and Concrete Research.
Deputy Pringle asked the Tánaiste: “Will you contact the National Standards Authority of Ireland to ensure that they amend ISO 465 to reflect this as a matter of urgency, as this is vital to many of the defective block householders to get an adequate response.”
In his response, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, said it was his understanding that the NSAI were reviewing it and said he would check that again and come back to Deputy Pringle on the matter. He said he was informed that about 812 applications to the mica scheme have been approved to date.
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