Presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Transport,

Culture and Gaeltacht.

11th October 2011

Pyrite and its effect on homes Pyrite – The Historical Background The Pyrite Crisis in Ireland Who are the parties involved? Pyrite & the Government – Why the Pyrite

Crisis is not a Civil Issue Pyrite Action Group – Goals & Expectations Pyrite – The Human Tragedy

Bulging & Cracking

of Walls

Cracking Floor Slab

Cracking above door & window frames, in coving and wall junctions

Cracking in Exterior

Walls

US

Canada

UK

Estimated at 20,000 homes. Figure could be as high at 60,000 or even higher.

Primarily across Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Offaly and possibly other areas.

Cost of repair €40K to €90K. Menolly Homes / James Elliott Construction HomeBond’s Denial of Liability Independent Working Group

Builders/Developers & their Insurers Quarries & their Insurers Structural ‘Insurers’ (e.g. HomeBond) Dept. of the Environment Banks & other Lending Institutions Local Authorities / County Councils Engineers/Architects/Surveyors

All of the above......

Building Control

HomeBond & the Dept. of the Environment

Government / Dept. of the Environment HomeBond Independent Working Group Builders/Developers/Quarries Testing Receivers, Liquidators & NAMA Banks & other Lending Institutions Insurance Providers Health & Safety Assessment

Our young children have lived their entire lives with a very, very stressed set of parents.

As we cannot sell our “Pyrite problem” the only way to have a habitable home of our own is to rent. This means paying a mortgage on a crumbling apartment & rent – we live in constant fear of one of us losing a job.....

I am attending the doctor for sleeping tablets as in the dead of the night there is no escape from the mind - as I type this there are tears in my eyes.

My front door now sticks so bad that it takes all my strength to open it. What would happen in a fire when every second counts?

I have actively looked into getting a family visa for Canada and handing back the keys but the bank has threatened that we will still owe them for the negative equity. So even fleeing the country is no escape from this nightmare!

Questions?