Mayo County Council accused of letting down people in Westport pyrite estate

Mayo County Council is facing renewed criticism over its response to the ongoing pyrite crisis affecting residents of Páirc na Coille, with local councillors calling for the authority to do more to support families devastated by the defective concrete scandal.

Councillor Brendan Mulroy has expressed deep dissatisfaction with how the council has handled the situation, particularly regarding clawback provisions on properties that have been rebuilt due to pyrite damage.

"We're in a situation now where Mayo County Council still have a clawback on some of them houses," Cllr Mulroy said. He criticised the council for maintaining financial claims on properties even after homeowners have demolished and rebuilt them at their own expense. "People are paying for houses that have had to be knocked down and rebuilt. I mean, it's wrong."

The councillor revealed that elected members were left to find alternative accommodation for affected residents without adequate institutional support. "We were left to ourselves to go looking for houses for these people. Every elected member did that. We went to try and help people the best way we can. But Mayo County Council should have allocated houses to these people."

Cllr Mulroy added: "I really, really feel Mayo County Council have let the people of Páirc na Coille down. I think they should have stepped in at the beginning a lot more for them. I don't know how they've kept it together for as long as they have."

He called on the council to take action even at this late stage: "I just want to say that Mayo County Council, even at this late stage, could step up and do something to help the people."

The human cost of the crisis was highlighted by Councillor John O'Malley, who described visiting a resident facing impossible choices between her health and her home.

READ: Mayo driver fined for parking illegally to collect pizza

"It's an awful situation mentally and financially for those people," Cllr O'Malley said. "I visited a woman there who can't afford to knock her house. She's ill and getting treatment every two weeks and she will for the rest of her life."

The woman showed Cllr O'Malley significant structural damage to her home. "She brought me into one half of her house and showed me a crack. She says her bedroom is impossible to heat, but she can't do anything about it," he said.

The controversy has raised questions about when the pyrite issue became known and what information was available to authorities at the time. While Cllr Mulroy acknowledged ongoing legal proceedings prevented full disclosure, he stated: "I don't want to end up in the High Court, but I would like to know who knew what and when."

The affected residents—many of whom are nearing retirement age—face the devastating prospect of discovering major structural defects after years of mortgage payments. "It's not easy when you're coming to the end of your house and you all of a sudden discover that you have pyrite," Cllr Mulroy said.

The councillors' criticisms reflect growing frustration that homeowners have been left to navigate the crisis largely on their own, with limited institutional support from the local authority responsible for housing in the area.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme