*The Mansfields whose home in Sixmilebridge is affected by the presence of defective concrete blocks. Photograph: Joe Buckley
Answers are to be sought from Clare homeowners affected by pyrite at what is expected to be a tense meeting with the county’s Oireachtas members this Friday.
Coming up to six weeks since Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien’s (FF) visit to the county, the Clare Pyrite Action Group are to hold a public meeting at Treacy’s West County Hotel as they urgently seek updates and answers from the county’s elected representatives, numbers at the gathering will be monitored in line with COVID-19 guidelines.
Minister O’Brien had promised an answer to representatives of the Group on whether Clare would have access to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme within “in a matter of weeks”. No representative from the Clare Pyrite Action Group has been included in the Mica Working Group that has held meetings with Government officials including the Housing Minister.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, founder of the Clare Pyrite Action Group, Dr Martina Cleary expressed her concern that they were being kept in the dark. “Our homes are our priority. We need answers”. There are now over 100 homeowners
A rebranding of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to the Mica Redress Scheme has set alarm bells ringing in Clare. “I am deeply concerned in the rebranding, it appears to be a shift in focus. We have been actively excluded,” the Crusheen woman said.
Clare politicians have expressed their confidence to members of the Action Group that the Banner County will not be left behind in the scheme. Dr Cleary detailed that Friday’s meeting at 8:30pm will be a chance for the politicians to explain the rationale for such optimism.
