OFFICIALS in the Department of Housing have said it will be able to recommend to the Government an extension of the defective concrete block scheme to Co Clare if latest samples show a link to damage between the blocks and homes tested.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing outlined that it held recent meetings with Clare County Council officials on February 7th and March 11th to try “progress matters”.
Representatives from the local authority stated that based on recommendations from their technical advisor they were satisfied that samples from a different set of five properties recently tested confirmed the presence of reactive pyrite with oxidisation and secondary gypsum formation as per the IS 465 standard.
Clare County Council are now finalising the I.S. 465 reports in respect of those 5 properties and will submit them to the Department as soon as possible.
“If evidence of pyrite induced expansion is evident within the blockwork samples taken from these homes and the necessary causative link to the damage within the homes is established, the Department should be in a position to recommend to Government that an extension of the scheme to Clare would be legislated for,” the Department spokesperson stated.
