Audit of Donegal quarries  finds ‘level of formal non-compliance’

A Government audit into quarries in Donegal has found “a level of formal non-compliance” with regulations.

The report on the audit has said there were “errors and omissions” in paperwork in Donegal quarries but it did not raise concerns with the tested performance of concrete products.

 The audit of all quarries in Donegal, which was carried out last year following a request by Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, has resulted in action against three quarry operators.

The move came after the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) advised the Department of Housing that it had withdrawn a certificate of conformity of factory production from a manufacturer based in Donegal. 

The report was published on Tuesday before the joint committee on housing, local government and heritage was due to discuss issues relating to quarries and deleterious materials.

Speaking ahead of the hearing, the committee cathaoirleach Deputy Steven Matthews said defective blocks and deleterious materials “is a problem that has left lasting and damaging consequences for all those affected by it”. 

The report of the Market Surveillance of Construction Products produced from County Donegal Quarries followed investigations by the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office, Donegal County Council and Geological Survey Ireland.

The audit involved the evaluation, sampling, examination, testing and inspection of aggregate concrete blocks and aggregates for concrete in Donegal for compliance with regulations.

It found that “in general, there was a level of formal non-compliance with the requirements of the Construction Products Regulation among economic operators in Donegal”.  

The issues of non-compliance “primarily related to errors in and omissions of the paperwork”, and the report found “that this generally did not reflect a concern with the tested performance of the products themselves”.

The report said the actions against three unnamed quarries “are now complete or in the process of being completed to the satisfaction of the authorities”. 

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Two concrete block manufacturers which had their certification withdrawn by the NSAI were visited, compliance information was requested, product samples were taken, testing was carried out and corrective actions were applied. The audit found no adverse results in relation to the performance of the concrete blocks. One of the manufacturers had its factory production control certificate reissued by the NSAI and the other is in the process of re-applying for its certification. 

A third manufacturer, which produced aggregates for concrete, was found to have  “a technical non-compliance”. It was required to take corrective actions and has since regained certification. 

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said: “The results of this audit highlights the importance and value of active market surveillance in the quarrying sector and the need to continue this work in Donegal and on a nationwide basis.

“We know what has happened in the past, the impact of which a great number of people are still feeling, and Government will not be complacent on this issue.”