Protest at Department of Housing over ‘flawed’ remediation decisions in defective concrete crisis

With mounting frustration, they are demanding answers from Minister Darragh O'Brien and accountability from the Housing Agency regarding downgrade decisions made on the remediation option provided for their homes.

The protest follows a series of complaints sent by homeowners over the past two weeks, challenging the Housing Agency's failure to consider pyrrhotite — a mineral scientifically linked to destructive Internal Sulfate Attack (ISA) in concrete, in its assessments.

Homeowners argue that pyrrhotite has been disregarded in downgrade decisions, leading to remediation solutions that fail to address the root cause of the damage.

These decisions, they argue, are contrary to the GSI commissioned scientific research and ignore the ISA mechanism caused by pyrrhotite—a well-documented driver of structural degradation.

Instead, homeowners claim they have been told that mica and freeze/thaw cycles are responsible, an assertion they describe as outdated and debunked by scientific evidence.

Angela Ward, PRO of the Donegal based Defective Concrete Campaign group, MAG, echoed the sentiments of families impacted by the Agency's decisions, describing the process as both legally questionable and dismissive of the scientific facts.

"We are here today because homeowner grievances demand substantive responses, not generic, boilerplate replies that fail to address our critical concerns.

"This disregard for scientific evidence and legal mandates not only places lives on hold but also erodes public trust in our institutions," said Ms Ward.

Homeowners are now calling on Minister O'Brien to step in and ensure that the Housing Agency follows its legally mandated responsibilities.

They urge him to address the scientific realities of pyrrhotite's impact on concrete integrity, respect the Ministerial Guidelines, and restore trust in the remediation process.

Marti McElhinney, spokesperson for the Downgraded Homeowners Group added, "We have sent email after email, raising these issues and requesting action, yet we receive nothing but hollow responses that dodge accountability.

"Minister O'Brien needs to show leadership and intervene to put an end to these legally flawed decisions," said Marti.

The homeowners believe that time and safety are of the essence as a huge number of homes are deteriorating rapidly, placing families at risk and forcing them to live in unsafe conditions.

A spokesperson said, "Today's protest marks an escalation in efforts by homeowners to ensure their voices are heard and their homes are protected.

"The affected families, who have endured years of emotional, financial, and personal hardship, will not accept anything other than the permanent restoration of their homes.

"They are determined to hold the Housing Agency accountable and to secure the full and proper remediation they are legally and morally owed.

"The Housing Agency's recent downgrade decisions, which favour less comprehensive repair options, have left many homeowners devastated and questioning the integrity of the process.

"These decisions, they argue, are contrary to the GSI commissioned scientific research and ignore the ISA mechanism caused by pyrrhotite—a well-documented driver of structural degradation.

"Instead, homeowners have been told that mica and freeze/thaw cycles are responsible, an assertion they describe as outdated and debunked by scientific evidence.

"Adding insult to injury, the Housing Agency responded to homeowners' complaints last Friday with a generic, copy-and-paste message directing them to a recently established appeals panel.

"The panel, however, is limited to identifying procedural errors rather than conducting any scientific or engineering review of the decisions."