The Justice 4 Donegal Defective Concrete Home and Properties group is holding a public meeting to discuss a judicial review of what the group has labelled flawed ‘mica’ testing standard IS465.
Formed in October 2023, the group currently comprises 16 home and property owners affected by defective concrete blocks and products.
They were frustrated at the suffering being inflicted by the two “unworkable Government grant schemes.”
A spokesperson for Justice 4 Donegal Defective Concrete Home and Properties said: “It is just over 10 years since the first campaign was established to seek compensation for what was and is still happening to our homes and properties.
“Two campaigns later, and we are no further forward in getting the justice which we deserve and to which we are entitled. We have been hindered and failed by local and national politicians.
“The thousands of campaigners across Donegal who marched in Dublin at two protests in 2021, have to be commended for their bravery. However, we feel the political road is now well and truly dead.
“We have come together to seek another way in our search for real justice for the victims of what was fraudulently labelled the Donegal Mica Freeze/Thaw scandal by those in power in local and national government, assisted by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) and other state bodies,” the spokesperson said.
The group said it is now an accepted scientific fact – thanks to testing carried out by Petrolab in Cornwall in England – the defective concrete scandal is being caused by internal sulphate attack in the blocks and external and internal sulphate attack in the foundations.
The spokesperson added: “We are being forced to conduct testing under the defective concrete block standard protocol IS 465.
“This standard protocol is flawed because Donegal is restricted to testing for mica only when we should be testing for all deleterious materials such as pyrrhotite and others. These are not in the remit or scope of IS 465.
“We believe the only way we will get Justice and the correct engineering solution is by way of Judicial Review against IS 465. We hope this will force the Government and the NSAI to withdraw this flawed standard and replace it with the correct EU directives that is already adopted by the NSAI (I.S. EN 12620 & I.S. EN 771-3).
“Our organisation is about delivering real justice, proper compensation for all property owners, by forcing our Government to establish a Public Inquiry, which will name and shame those who have caused this disaster; prosecutions; and the correct engineering solutions based on the EU directives that are adopted by the NSAI but are sadly not enforced.
“We look forward to engaging with those who will not be able to afford to enter the enhanced grant scheme, and those who do enter it,” said the spokesperson.
Justice 4 Donegal Defective Concrete Home and Properties is free to join by sending your details and information to justice4donegaldchp@gmail.com.
Cllr Frank McBrearty (Independent), who is a member of Justice 4 Donegal, said he will continue to make political representation for any home owner who decides to enter the Grant Scheme.
The spokesperson added: “Home owners are now having their engineer’s recommendation downgraded by Donegal County Council and Housing Agency.
“This is becoming a very serious problem and as an organisation we fully understand why people are entering these unworkable Grants schemes
“We hope to see you all at the Public Information Evening on Friday May 31st at the Volt House Raphoe at 7.00pm sharp, to discuss why we are taking a Judicial Review in the Public interest.”
