Pyrite Remediation Scheme to be widened to include more homes

• Expansion of scheme will extend support to an estimated 200 additional homes
• Eligible homeowners have until Monday 30 November 2026 to submit their applications

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has today announced that the Pyrite Remediation Scheme will be widened to include an estimated 200 additional homes affected by pyrite.

Previously, only homes that have been assessed to have a Category D Damage Condition Rating of 2 – which indicates significant damage due to pyrite – were eligible under the scheme. Under the newly expanded scheme, homes with a Damage Condition Rating of 1 and showing progression will now be included, fulfilling the Government’s commitment to widen eligibility where appropriate and ensure that no one is left behind as the Scheme enters its final phase.

The Pyrite Remediation Scheme was set up in 2014 to remediate homes significantly damaged by pyrite in the stone filling under ground floor slabs. By the end of 2024, a total of 2,851 homes have had remediation completed at a cost of approximately €196m. The homes are spread across nine local authority areas, with the majority located within the Fingal County Council boundary. The scheme is administered by the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB), which oversees the implementation of the scheme and manages the application and appeals process. The Housing Agency manages the remediation of properties accepted into the scheme.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, announcing said:

With the number of applications decreasing significantly in recent years, the PRB has recommended that the Scheme be wound down in a planned and controlled matter with a primary focus on the needs of homeowners. Monday, 30 November 2026, is the end date for submission of applications by homeowners for remediation of their homes under the Scheme. Homeowners who may be eligible for the scheme are urged to take action now and submit their application before the closing date. They will require an appropriate professional, normally an engineer, to assess their house and prepare a building condition assessment. The homeowner may then complete an online application to the Pyrite Resolution Board.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

· An overview of how the Pyrite Remediation Scheme works can be found on the Pyrite Resolution Board website: https://www.pyriteboard.ie/How-the-Scheme-works.aspx

· ‘Damage Condition Rating’ refers to the Irish national standard used to assess, test, and categorise residential buildings in Ireland for damage caused by pyritic heave. For more information, visit the PRB website: https://www.pyriteboard.ie/

· Under the new widening of eligibility, the PRB will evaluate each eligible application using strict qualification criteria. Applicants who are approved will follow the existing eight stages of pyrite remediation, with an additional assessment step. The Scheme engineer will revisit the property within a defined period to reassess whether any current progression has occurred as determined by the PRB. The Housing Agency will oversee assessment and testing on behalf of the PRB.

· In the past few years, the number of applications received by the Board has begun to fall significantly. As of now, an average of only two applications per week are being made to the Scheme, this works out at approximately 100 per year.

Please note that the Pyrite Remediation Scheme is separate to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, which began on 22 June 2023 to provide financial support for homeowners in Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo, and Sligo to remediate homes damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction. Learn more about the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.