Defective concrete homeowners holding Dublin protest over downgrade decisions

Defective concrete homeowners from Donegal are staging a protest at the Department of Housing’s headquarters at the Custom House in Dublin. 

The Mica Action Group (Mag) says Wednesday’s protest is demanding answers from Minister Darragh O’Brien and accountability from the Housing Agency regarding downgrade decisions made on the remediation option provided for their homes. 

The latest figures show 120 applications to the defective blocks grant scheme have seen the engineer's remediation recommendation downgraded.

The protest follows a series of complaints sent by homeowners over the past two weeks. Homeowners say the Housing Agency is failing to consider pyrrhotite - a mineral scientifically linked to destructive Internal Sulfate Attack (ISA) -  in concrete in its assessments. 

While the presence of pyrrhotite in these defective concrete blocks is a legally mandated consideration under the Ministerial Guidelines for the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, homeowners argue that pyrrhotite has been disregarded in downgrade decisions, leading to remediation solutions that fail to address the root cause of the damage. 

"We have been informed that the appeals process is purely procedural, with no scientific or engineering review of decisions," said Marti McElhinney, spokesperson for the Downgraded Homeowners Group.

 "The appeal is limited to identifying administrative errors, failing to address the core issue. The Housing Agency has a legal responsibility to consider pyrrhotite—the proven cause of our homes' catastrophic deterioration. Every downgraded homeowner has evidence of pyrrhotite, yet this critical factor has been entirely ignored. We demand these legally flawed decisions be rescinded immediately."

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Angela Ward, PRO of Mag, echoed the sentiments of families impacted by the Agency’s decisions, describing the process as both legally questionable and dismissive of the scientific facts. 

“We are here today because homeowner grievances demand substantive responses, not generic, boilerplate replies that fail to address our critical concerns. This disregard for scientific evidence and legal mandates not only places lives on hold but also erodes public trust in our institutions.” 

Homeowners are now calling on Minister O’Brien to step in and ensure that the Housing Agency follows its legally mandated responsibilities. They urge him to address the scientific realities of pyrrhotite’s impact on concrete integrity, respect the Ministerial Guidelines, and restore trust in the remediation process. 

“We have sent email after email, raising these issues and requesting action, yet we receive nothing but hollow responses that dodge accountability,” added McElhinney. “Minister O’Brien needs to show leadership and intervene to put an end to these legally flawed decisions.” 

Today’s protest marks an escalation in efforts by homeowners to ensure their voices are heard and their homes are protected. The affected families, who have endured years of emotional, financial, and personal hardship, will not accept anything other than the permanent restoration of their homes. They are determined to hold the Housing Agency accountable and to secure the full and proper remediation they are legally and morally owed.