The details of a pyrite remedial scheme for up to 350 north Mayo households was welcomed by elected members of Mayo County Council this week.
The Housing Strategic Policy Committee of the local authority were informed of how the scheme would work at their committee meeting this week. There are a number of different options under the scheme which affected homeowners can apply for, however council officials informed the committee that the scheme to demolish and rebuild the house is one they expect to be primarily applied for in Mayo.
Under that strand of the scheme the maximum aid available to an affected qualifying home owner is €275,000, or 90 per cent of the total cost of the rebuilding works, not including the foundation.
The scheme will cover works only to principal places of residence, however it will not cover the costs of affected residents having to acquire alternative accommodation during the rebuilding process.
The scheme covers properties in Mayo and Donegal which have been affected by pyrite and mica. The majority of cases in Mayo are for pyrite and in Donegal for mica, and the members of the committee were informed that around 4,000 homes in Donegal had been affected in some way.
There was a broad welcome for the scheme from the elected members of the committee with Independent Cllr Christy Hyland saying: "There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for these people after at least 10 years." Cllr Michael Kilycone added: "It is a terribly frightening situation these people found themselves in with their houses starting to fall down within a very short period of time."
