Discovery completed in landmark case affecting thousands of Donegal homeowners

Discovery has been completed across six lead cases in a landmark legal action being taken on behalf of thousands of defective concrete block homeowners.

Sampling from the lead plaintiffs’ homes has now been completed, and full test results have been received for two of the six lead plaintiffs.

Further results are expected over the coming months and will form a key part of the expert evaluation process underpinning the claims.

Defective Blocks Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation founded by Buncrana businessmen Adrian Sheridan and Shaun Hegarty, is taking the case against Cassidy Brothers, Donegal County Council and the NSAI.

DBI said the completion of discovery across the six lead cases in the main High Court litigation is an important step forward. Legal and technical teams are now reviewing the substantial volume of documentation received, while nominated experts assess the material in relation to the scientific and engineering issues central to the proceedings.

DBI also noted that significant progress has been made in addressing technical issues relating to testing methodologies used on samples taken from Gransha Quarry. The matter remains before the Commercial Court of the High Court, with the most recent hearing on 23 March 2026 adjourned until May to allow further petrographic results to be received.

DBI, working with Coleman Legal LLP, has welcomed continued progress in the High Court legal action on behalf of homeowners and remains fully committed to securing justice for affected homeowners in Donegal.

Recent reporting has underlined the scale and urgency of the defective concrete blocks crisis, with the number of impacted homes now estimated at around 9,500 nationwide, including approximately 6,500 in Donegal alone. The latest Oireachtas committee hearings also highlighted the continued pressure on families awaiting remediation and the wider challenge facing the State’s redress system.

In the separate proceedings against the Irish State and the Minister for Housing, discovery has now been exchanged by both sides. Those proceedings relate to properties constructed after 1 January 2010 and the alleged failure to give effect to Regulation 765/2008. 

The Defective Blocks Ireland group said recent public attention to the review of I.S. 465 shows why transparency and scientific robustness are essential to the redress process.

DBI believes the outcome of this review will have major implications for homeowners because I.S. 465 remains the technical standard that shapes assessments and remediation decisions under the grant scheme. The issue was also highlighted at the Oireachtas committee meeting in February, where members were told the crisis continues to affect thousands of households.

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A spokesperson for Defective Blocks Ireland said the group remains focused on supporting homeowners through what is still a highly complex and stressful process.

“We welcome the progress made to date, but we are under no illusion about the scale of the work still ahead. Homeowners have waited far too long for clarity, justice and a remediation process that properly reflects the reality of the damage they have suffered. We will continue to pursue every avenue available to secure justice and long-term resolution for homeowners across Donegal.”