The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has extended the public consultation phase of the revised IS 465 standard for the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) by six weeks, until 11 July.
The move has been welcomed by Coleman Legal, the law firm representing thousands of homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks. The extension follows formal requests made by Coleman Legal, acting on behalf of homeowners engaged in a multi action High Court action led by Defective Blocks Ireland CLG, to the NSAI and by the Department of Housing. The public consultation had been due to close on 28 May, but will now remain open into July, giving stakeholders more time to respond to significant changes proposed in the draft standard.
In its communication with the Minister for Housing and the NSAI, Coleman Legal argued that more time was needed to allow affected families, engineers, and advocates to meaningfully engage with the technical revisions – many of which have serious implications for how homes are assessed and remediated under the national scheme.
Crucially, they said, the revised IS 465 draft acknowledges for the first time the role of pyrrhotite and iron sulphides in degrading concrete blocks, introducing new testing requirements to detect these damaging minerals in core samples taken from buildings.
However, Coleman Legal has flagged a major concern: the draft IS 465 sets the acceptable limit of pyrrhotite in concrete at 0.3% by volume, which is three times higher than the 0.1% threshold set by the EU standard EN 1744-1. Coleman Legal called on the NSAI to amend the draft to comply with the legally binding European limit, warning that anything less would be out of step with international best practice and would further erode confidence in the remediation process.
In a message to homeowners engaged in the Commercial Court case Coleman Legal said: “This extension is a direct result of your collective voices being heard. We strongly encourage all affected parties to make a submission before the new deadline of 11 July.This is a rare and important opportunity to influence the standards that will shape how your homes are assessed and repaired.”
The NSAI has confirmed that nearly 400 comments have been received to date and praised the “constructive and informed engagement” from stakeholders. In an effort to prevent further delays, the authority has also confirmed that it will begin reviewing submissions during the extended consultation period. This is a departure from standard procedure but one designed to expedite finalisation of the revised standard.
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