MEETING Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, TD, pictured before a meeting with Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Damien English, TD, and interested parties in Geesala last week regarding the Report of the Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (Pyrite). Also pictured is Cllr Gerry Coyle.
Neill O'Neill
THERE are 362 homes in Mayo affected by pyrite, and some of the owners of these houses require immediate intervention from government according to Councillor Teresa Whelan.
Speaking on the issue at yesterday’s (Monday’s) monthly meeting of the West Mayo Municipal District, Cllr Whelan spoke passionately about the issue, saying that her own family and friends have been affected.
“I know one family dealing with this who lost family members in the recent past. A neighbour spent €200,000 on their house and now the house is condemned. They paid professionals to protect their interests and through no fault of their own, their lives are now in a mess. I blame the Government, it is not protecting its citizens. We make up one percent of Europe and we have 43 percent of the debt because our government bailed out the banks and yet they are dragging their heels to put a redress scheme in place for the 362 families that are effectively homeless in our county. I’m furious,” she told The Mayo News.
Meeting with Minister
Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Damien English TD was in Erris last week along with Rural Development Minister Michael Ring, where they met with interested and affected parties in Geesala regarding the Report of the Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks (pyrite). An inspection of properties affected by pyrite has been undertaken and Mayo County Council are awaiting their report, Padraig Walsh, head of the West Mayo Municipal District, informed yesterday’s meeting.
Cllr Whelan called for those with the problem already identified to be the first to receive any remedy, before the ‘floodgates open’ with others cases.
Another local councillor, Gerry Coyle, said that he would not stay a single night in some of the affected homes, and accused some of ‘running away from their responsibilities’ after ‘putting a faulty product on the market’.
“Insurance companies are washing their hands of it too,” he stated. “You build a home for life and intend to pass it on, but some people can feel the wind coming through the cracks in their houses. The Minister is coming back next month to explain what he is going to do, but the expert group said the blocks used in these houses were not fit for purpose.”
Cllr Michael Holmes added to the discussion that it is hard to understand this issue until you see it, and spoke of postmen delivering letters to homeowners through the cracks in their walls.
