Pyrite group seeks exemption from household charge

Dublin People 10 Dec 2011

THE Government has been urged to exempt residents
affected by pyrite from the new annual

?¬100 household charge.

Pyrite Action Group first wrote to the Minister for
the Environment, Phil Hogan, when he announced the new charge during the
summer. They have yet to receive a response to their request for an exemption
from his office.

Now that the

?¬100 charge has been formally announced
in Budget 2012, the group intends to ramp up their case.

Thousands of homes in and around the Greater Dublin
area and surrounding counties are suspected of being affected by pyrite. While
pyrite – sometimes referred to as fools’ gold – is a naturally occurring
mineral, it is not suitable as building infill material due to its potential to
expand when it comes into contact with air or moisture.

Cracks

If this happens, it can cause upward floor heave
leading to serious cracks appearing in walls and ceilings, as well as other
structural damage.

Residents hoping to pursue pyrite-related insurance
claims were dealt a body blow earlier this year when HomeBond informed them it
would not be accepting liability.

Sandra Lewis, secretary of Pyrite Action Group,
stressed that her organisation was not in a position to advise its members
whether to pay the new household charge or not.

Personal

“A decision like that has to be a personal choice but
I can tell you that I certainly won’t be paying it,

? Ms Lewis told Northside
People.

“We will continue to push the Government to grant an exemption to
householders affected by pyrite, similar to what will apply for residents
living in ghost estates.

Ms Lewis questioned how the Government would deal with
the issue when the household charge is replaced by a valuation-based property
tax in 2013.

“Given that my home is all but worthless in its
current condition, it will be interesting to see how they will apply this tax
on pyrite homes should the crisis not be addressed before then,

? she added.