Defective block homeowners protest at Department of Housing in Dublin

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.

The homeowners said the presence of pyrrhotite in these defective concrete blocks is a legally mandated consideration under the Ministerial Guidelines for the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.

"These guidelines, enshrined in the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, require that “the Housing Agency, will in their analysis and deliberations, take into consideration the presence of Pyrrhotite.”

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

In a statement, families said that time and safety are of the essence.

A spokesperson said: “A huge number of homes are deteriorating rapidly, placing families at risk and forcing them to live in unsafe conditions. The Housing Agency’s recent downgrade decisions, which favour less comprehensive repair options, have left many homeowners devastated.

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"Instead, homeowners have been told that mica and freeze/thaw cycles are responsible, an assertion they describe as outdated and debunked by scientific evidence.

The Housing Agency responded to homeowners’ complaints last Friday by directing them to a recently established appeals panel.

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

Homeowners are now calling on Minister O’Brien to step in and ensure that the Housing Agency follows its legally mandated responsibilities. They urged him to address the ‘scientific realities of pyrrhotite’s impact on concrete integrity, respect the Ministerial Guidelines, and restore trust in the remediation process.’

Today’s protest marks an escalation in efforts by homeowners to ensure their voices are heard and their homes are protected.