Latest: Pyrite standards report 'a complete fudge', says campaigner
Anti-pyrite campaigners say they are disappointed with the revised standards report published today.
Dave McGinley, spokesperson for the Pyrite Equality Group thinks the process has been a waste of time:
“We’ve waited a year for this report to come out,” he said.
“We were fobbed off by the Junior Minister for Housing last year, to wait to see what the NSAI comes out with, and this is what they’ve come out with, and it’s a complete fudge.
“All it does, basically, is reduce the numbers of people who may need remediation by the Government.
“It basically passes the problem back to the owner, saying ‘You’ll be fine’.”
It is hoped that revised standards for pyrite-affected buildings will give home owners and buyers more certainty.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland has changed the four building categories that pyrite is classed under.
An A rating indicates negligible risk of damage, while a D rating indicates significant risk.
In the 2013 report, B and C were inconclusive, whereas in the revised 2017 report they represent low and medium risks respectively.
NSAI technical manager Yvonne Wylde says clarity was needed, particularly with the low-risk category.
"What we're trying to do here, it is a technical issue, it is hard to explain to people, but we will be trying to explain to those who fully understand so that people are clear as to what the B category means, and the levels of risk associated with it in the future," she said.
NSAI chief executive Geraldine Larkin said: "As anyone who has been affected by pyrite will know, unfortunately pyrite is unpredictable.
"NSAI’s Reactive Pyrite Technical Committee revised this standard to further reduce the possibility of ambiguity in deciding and interpreting results, and give more clarity to the categorisation process.
"I want to thank the committee members and the members of the public for their important contributions to the revision. We received over 200 comments during the public consultation period, including many submissions from homeowners."
