Cracks appear in hundreds of houses

A DUBLIN property development consortium has accepted material used in the foundations of a housing estate in Kinsealy has caused the floors to crack.

Menolly Homes/Hansfield Developments last night said tests confirmed a substance called pyrite has been detected in the in-fill underneath homes at Drynam Hall, Kinsealy.

It also emerged that the substance causing the problem was used at two other developments by Menolly Homes.

This has caused cracking in the floors and along the walls in some of the homes in a development, which consists of more than 350 units.

Last night, a statement on behalf of the consortium said: “Following extensive testing and analysis, independent experts have confirmed to Menolly/Hansfield the excessive presence of a mineral called pyrite in the stone in-fill beneath the ground floor in samples taken from a number of homes.

“According to independent experts retained by Menolly/Hansfield, the nature and extent of the pyrite found in the majority of samples tested to date, is such that it is causing the ground floor in-fill to expand, resulting in the cracking which has been the focus of the investigations.”

The companies maintain the foundations and structure of the houses are not affected and there are no health and safety concerns.

Last night’s statement said the problems were traced back to a quarry which supplied the in-fill material.

Portions of two other Menolly developments in Dublin at Myrtle and Beaupark. The company said it is examining the situation but it does not believe the other developments will be affected.

Menolly/Hansfield said it has kept its commitments under the Homebond scheme and is working with homeowners to remedying this issue.