Stage One mica redress applications stalled

“The Council cannot process your application further at the moment.”

This was the stark email received on Tuesday by applicants for Stage 1 Confirmation of Eligibility of the Donegal County Council administered Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.

The email stated: “Regrettably, under the current regulations, it is not possible to arrange a payment of 90% of costs incurred with the preparation of the engineer’s report until such time as a decision is made to issue confirmation of eligibility.”

The delay was blamed on the fact the Council was “waiting on clarification which has been sought from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage”.

The email continued: “The clarification relates to proposed remedial works in the context of test results, geologist reports and engineers' reports.

“Regrettably, under the current regulations, it is not possible to arrange a payment of 90% of costs incurred with the preparation of the engineer's report until such time as a decision is made to issue confirmation of eligibility.

“The Council acknowledges the difficulties that this presents for you, however this requirement is stipulated in the Department's criteria for payments under the Defective Concrete Block Scheme.”

“If you are experiencing distress, we have been asked to remind you that you can avail of the HSE's Counselling in Primary Care (CIPC) with specific reference to mica and referrals can be made through your GP.

“Please be assured, that as soon as there is progress with your application, we will let you know.”

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Cllr Martin McDermott (Fianna Fáil), who is the chairperson of the Council's Mica Redress Committee (MRC), said it was now incumbent on the Housing Department to make an urgent call on IS465, so that people in the current 90 / 10 redress scheme could be reimbursed.

Only certain deleterious materials are covered under the scheme as IS465 only specifies testing for certain materials. It excludes deleterious materials including pyrrhotite and sulphides.

IS465 was the standard developed by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Concrete Block Committee for the assessment, testing and categorisation of damaged buildings incorporating concrete blocks containing certain deleterious materials.

“The senior engineer in the Council gave the MRC a breakdown of the situation regarding Stage One and Stage Two applications, at our December 10 meeting.

“The fact is, there are other sulphides and minerals coming in from engineers that IS465 does not include at the minute and he can't really sign off on these applications.

“To be fair to him, it is probably in the best interests of a lot of homeowners that he doesn't sign off these applications because, at the minute, IS465 only takes mica and pyrite into consideration.

“At the minute, there would be a number of people who have applied for Stage One and got approval, however, they have now have come into Stage Two seeking a 'change of option'. There are actually 69 of those cases.

“These need urgent clarification from the Housing Department,” said Cllr McDermott, who added that the Council has had 'conversations with the Department' on these matters.

Donegal County Council executive members and the chair and vice chair of the Mica Redress Committee were to meet the Housing Department this week but the meeting has been postponed until early in the new year, according to Cllr McDermott.

He added: “Council needs to get confirmation from the Department as to how Council should proceed with these applications.

“We also need to put pressure on the Department to change IS465. IS465 needs updated to included the test results that are coming back at the minute.

“I would also be calling on the Department to put a mechanism in place whereby people could get their money back.

“The scheme is changing. People won't have to pay anything in the future, so, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why the Department can't reimburse all of those applications to Stage One, early in the new year.

“People have been out money now for 15 or 16 months, waiting on engineers, waiting on the Council, waiting to get things through, and that is too long for people to be out that money.

“It is totally, totally unfair. It is incumbent on the Department to make a call urgently on on IS465 so that people can get their money back.”