Pyrite protest planned by homeowners facing huge repair bills

A protest will be held today to highlight the situation faced by thousands of homeowners whose houses are affected by pyrite damage.

Pyrite is a mineral used during the building boom in the foundations of houses and apartments that has caused significant structural damage.

Homeowners report bulges and cracks in walls and floors and say they have been quoted up to €70,000 to have the problems fixed.

Insurance provider Homebond, which guaranteed the work on the houses, said that it could not foresee the pryrite problem and cannot accept liability for it.

However, Fingal County Councillor Ruth Coppinger said the dangers of pyrite were known - and ignored - by the construction sector in Ireland.

"Developers were unregulated because they had such a close relationship with political parties...It's not that it wasn't known about - there are articles going back 30 years or so on this issue."