Further Offaly homes may be eligible for pyrite scheme

Further Offaly homes may now be eligible for the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, following a widening of the scheme.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, has today announced the scheme would be widened to include an estimated 200 additional homes affected by pyrite. A total of 35 applications have been received in Offaly since the scheme was launched in 2014.

Previously, only homes that have been assessed to have a Category D Damage Condition Rating of 2 – which indicates significant damage due to pyrite – were eligible under the scheme. Under the newly expanded scheme, homes with a Damage Condition Rating of 1 and showing progression will now be included, fulfilling the Government’s commitment to widen eligibility where appropriate.

The Pyrite Remediation Scheme was set up in 2014 to remediate homes significantly damaged by pyrite in the stone filling under ground floor slabs. By the end of 2024, a total of 2,851 homes have had remediation completed at a cost of approximately €196m. The homes are spread across nine local authority areas, with the majority located within the Fingal County Council boundary. The scheme is administered by the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB), which oversees the implementation of the scheme and manages the application and appeals process. The Housing Agency manages the remediation of properties accepted into the scheme.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, announcing said: "I am very glad to be able to announce today that the Pyrite Remediation Scheme will be widened to offer help and support to the owners of hundreds of additional homes. Although the number of applications has decreased significantly in recent years as we enter the final phase of the scheme, this Government has always been determined to ensure that nobody is left behind. We want to ensure that all eligible homeowners affected by the damage caused by pyrite, both here in Offaly and throughout all of the affected regions, can once again feel safe and secure in their own homes."

With the number of applications decreasing significantly in recent years, the PRB has recommended that the scheme be wound down in a planned and controlled matter with a primary focus on the needs of homeowners. Monday, November 30, 2026, is the end date for submission of applications by homeowners for remediation of their homes under the Scheme. Homeowners who may be eligible for the scheme are urged to take action now and submit their application before the closing date. They will require an appropriate professional, normally an engineer, to assess their house and prepare a building condition assessment. The homeowner may then complete an online application to the PRB.