Article Updated – 12:50pm
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Ireland for not carrying out market surveillance on construction products.
The state is being held accountable for failure to comply with requirements under the Construction Products Regulation, leading to thousands of properties becoming affected by defective concrete blocks.
EU rules require authorities to monitor the manufacturing and placing on the market of construction products before they are used.
The Commission has found that Irish authorities limited their monitoring activities, which endangers the free circulation of safe construction products in the Union
“Due to defective construction products, several thousand houses in Ireland suffered very serious damage,” said a statement from the EU Commission.
A letter of formal notice has been sent to Ireland, giving authorities two months to respond and address the shortcomings raised by the Commission.
Last October, EU representatives embarked on a fact finding mission to Donegal to examine the use of defective mica blocks in construction in Ireland and the alleged non-compliance with the EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR). The numbers of affected homes are estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000.
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD said the European Commission’s action comes as no surprise.
“Despite the ongoing defective concrete block scandal, Government has made no changes to our building products surveillance regime,” the Deputy said.
“While the National Building Control Office was given the responsibility for surveillance of building products it has not been given the staff or resources to undertake this job.
“The defective concrete block scandal will cost the taxpayer at least €2.5billion. We need to ensure that a scandal like this never happens again. This means we need a fully independent inspection and enforcement regime for all building materials.”
Deputy Ó Broin called on the government to agree a multi annual resource and workforce plan with the NBCO and Local Authority Building Control sections to ensure full compliance with EU law, adding “and more importantly that the materials used to build people’s homes meet the standards set in Irish and European legislation.”
“Significant credit must go to the defective home campaigners in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and other counties for highlighting the Government’s failures at an EU level. Now it is time for Government to act.”
