International Conference on Defective Blocks 'a massive opportunity' that has 'never been done before'

The schedule for the conference, which is being jointly hosted and facilitated by the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny, Ulster University Magee Campus Derry and MEP Luke Ming Flanagan of the LEFT group in the European Parliament, was released this week and its speakers and attendees include world-leading experts in geology, earth sciences and engineering, who research impacts of deleterious minerals on concrete, from Canada, USA, Switzerland, Norway and Ireland.

Other speakers include affected homeowners, a business owner who will outline the impact of mica on businesses, a school teacher who will speak of the impact on the lives of secondary school students, Dr Karen Kirby from the Ulster University School of Psychology, who will discuss the measuring of the scale of the mental health and well-being impact of mica-affected homeowners, as well as Denise McCool from Inishowen Development Partnership on the community response programme.

There will also be an update on the scheme from John O’Connor, who was appointed by the Minister of Housing Darragh O’Brien as homeowner liaison, Damien Owens, Registrar, Engineer’s Ireland and Martin McDermott, Chair of Donegal County Council’s steering committee; a roundtable stakeholder discussion with various experts and affected homeowners, a session on the scientific insights into the causes of defective concrete and an EU/Policy session, among other discussions.

Eileen Doherty, campaigner, lecturer in Digital Transformation at Ulster University and one of the conference organisers, told the Journal that ‘every single person in the world, who has anything to do with defective concrete or deleterious materials or mica or pyrite are all going to be in this building on November 15’.

"It has never been done before and we’ve never had an audience like this. We’ll have people there from government, who will be sitting listening on the impact on school students, homeowners, businesses, community centres etc. We have many different people representing all these groups who will never get a chance again to say on this stage how it’s impacting them and it’s a massive opportunity.”

She continued: “People will be standing up and telling their stories and reality to government. Also, it’s huge from a research point of view. Someone asked me how much this is all going to cost the housing sector. That’s the sort of research we’re going to be looking at, as well as research around issues like the impact on mental health. It’s a major step forward also in putting it on an academic footing. It’s important that we can go back to government and say to them: ‘Look at the impact’ on whatever sector we’re speaking about.”

Other conference organisers include Professor Paul Dunlop (Research Director for Geography and Environmental Sciences UU) and Joseph Morgan, Director of Engineering, Druva.

The conference takes place in Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny campus on November 15 from 1.45pm to 10pm. Registration for the event is on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-science-and-societal-impacts-of-defective-concrete-tickets-443321886697