QUESTION


* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the number of homes that have been remediated under the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- Darragh O'Brien T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 31 January, 2018.

* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government his plans for homes that are affected by pyrite but which have been left out of the current remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- Darragh O'Brien T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 31 January, 2018.

* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government his plans to extend and expand the pyrite remediation scheme for homes that failed to reach the high thresholds set down under the previous government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- Darragh O'Brien T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 31 January, 2018.


REPLY



The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.  The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope.  The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.

In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Board is independent in the performance of its functions, and as Minister, I have no role in the operational matters (including sampling and testing) pertaining to the implementation of the scheme.  The Board may be contacted by phone at Lo call 1890 252842 or by email to [email protected] or alternatively at [email protected].

The scheme is applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave, established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol.  In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2.  Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme.  This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave.  I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.

The Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012) recommended a categorisation system as a means of prioritising pyrite remediation works in recognition of the expensive and intrusive nature of pyrite remediation and the unpredictability of pyritic heave. The independent Pyrite Panel was clear in its view that only dwellings with significant damage due to pyritic heave should be remediated and that it would be unreasonable to expect dwellings not exhibiting such damage to be remediated.

Dwellings which have no significant damage but have reactive pyrite in the hardcore material should be monitored and only remediated if they display significant damage due to pyritic heave. This remains the position with regard to dwellings which do not display significant pyritic damage.

On foot of this recommendation of the Pyrite Panel, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) published I.S. 398-1:2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol in 2013. The standard provides the means by which dwellings that may be affected by pyrite can be tested and categorised.

In late 2015, the NSAI commenced a review of I.S. 398-1:2013 in the light of practical experience since the standard was first introduced in January 2013.  The standard was updated and revised to reflect the on-site experiences and evidence gathered by technical experts, such as engineers, geologists, professionals providing sampling and testing services and other technical experts, who have been using the standard over the past four years and was published on 4 August 2017.

I welcome the revised standard published by the NSAI and in this context I signed the Pyrite Resolution (Standard for Testing) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 556 of 2017) on 6 December 2017. These Regulations provide that pursuant to section 14(9)(a) of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013, the “standard for testing” for the purpose of the Act shall be Irish Standard 398-1:2017 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material —Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol, as published by the National Standards Authority of Ireland on 4 August 2017.

My Department is in regular contact with the Pyrite Resolution Board and the Housing Agency with regard to the implementation of the scheme. Any amendments, which the Board consider are required to the scheme as a result of the revised standard will be given full consideration should they be submitted to me in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

The latest figures available indicate that a total of 1,963 applications have been received under the pyrite remediation scheme.  Of the 1,963 applications received so far, 1,523 dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme and the applicants notified accordingly.

A further 110 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, while another 218 applications are at the initial Application and Validation Process. 112 applications under the scheme were not successful.

Of the 1,523 dwellings that have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme:

-              343 are at remedial works planning stage,

-              96 are at tender decision,

-              139 are under remediation, and

-              945 are complete.

With regard to funding, a sum of €25 million was expended on the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2017.  This funding facilitated the remediation of some 400 additional dwellings.  

An increased amount of €30 million was announced under Budget 2018 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme in 2018.  This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 430 additional dwellings this year and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.

Ultimately, the Pyrite Remediation Board, together with the Housing Agency, will arrange for all eligible dwellings to be remediated to a high standard and at no additional cost to the affected homeowners. Remediation works will continue to be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity having regard to the existing demands of the scheme and the optimum use of available resources.

Question No. 150　
Parliamentary Question - Oireachtas　
　
To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he and his department has taken in the case of a person (details supplied) who has been sentenced to death due to their Baha'i faith in Yemen; if this matter has been raised with the European Union external action service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.　
- Brendan Howlin.　

* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd January, 2018.　
Ref No: 2906/18　
　
　　

Hamid bin Haydara　
Question No.151　
Parliamentary Question - Oireachtas　　
To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); the efforts being made at EU and international level to address this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter.　　
- Darragh O'Brien.　　
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd January, 2018.　　
Ref No: 2917/18　　
　　
　　


REPLY　
I propose to take questions 150 and 151 together. I am aware of the case to which you refer, which is a cause for concern, in particular as the individual appears to have been sentenced on the basis of his religious beliefs.　
Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, and attaches great importance to combating all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. Ireland consistently raises the issues of racism and intolerance and advocates for inclusive societies at the UN Human Rights Council, as well as at the Council of Europe and the OSCE. 　
Furthermore, Ireland is unequivocal in its stance on the death penalty. We oppose and condemn its use in all circumstances, and in particular in cases where there are allegations of unfair trials preceding its implementation. The abolition of the death penalty is one of Ireland’s international priorities, and my Department regularly conveys our stance on this issue to all countries where the death penalty is still in use. 　
The conflict in Yemen, now in its third year, has led to grave concerns about human rights and Ireland has worked in the UN system to address these. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland joined the small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen, which established a group of international experts to investigate the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground. This group will report back to the Human Rights Council, as an important step towards accountability in Yemen.　
Among other pressing issues, this resolution expressed concern at the severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Yemen, including for members of the Baha’i faith. Ireland calls on all parties to immediately release all Baha’i detained in Yemen due to their religious belief, to cease the issuance of arrest warrants against them and to cease the harassment to which they are subjected. 　
Officials from this Department also remain in contact with representatives of the Baha’i community in Ireland, with whom they have discussed the situation in Yemen, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.　
My Department necessarily prioritises its efforts to promote improvements in the general human rights situation, as it does not have the capacity to actively pursue at EU and international level all of the individual cases that arise. Accordingly, my Department will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Yemen, as well as the issues of freedom of religion and the death penalty, and will take every appropriate opportunity to advocate for them. 　
Finally, a real improvement in the human rights situation in Yemen will require an end to conflict. I would like to assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to support all efforts towards a negotiated settlement to the conflict in that country.

QUESTION　


To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the refurbishment and provision of a permanent extension for a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. (Details Supplied) the Portmarnock Community School　

REPLY　



As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school to which he refers is included in my Department's 6 Year Construction Programme. 　
The project brief is being finalised with a view to progressing the project into architectural planning.　

QUESTION


To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her department has changed the method or the calculation for persons that are receiving a social welfare payment and have their local property tax deducted at source; if so, the implications of this for such persons; if it has a resulted in an increase in the amount of local property tax being paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. - Darragh O'Brien.


 
 
 
REPLY
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Regina Doherty T.D):

Local Property Tax is now deducted over 50 calendar weeks, rather than 52. This change was necessary as a safeguard to afford customers the full benefit of the Christmas bonus and the double week payments and ensures that these additional payments are not absorbed by an automatic Local Property Tax deduction. It was also necessary to ensure that customer’s deductions would not reduce their weekly personal rate payment below the level of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance personal rate as a result of these additional payments.

This change has not increased the overall annual amount of tax liability for such customers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.