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Cracks filled in with foam at home due to pyrite swelling. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Government announces €10 million for pyrite repairs

The funding will be available for about 1,000 properties that require immediate repair but homeowners who have already paid for repairs will not be compensated.

AN INITIAL €10 million of funding has been announced by the Government to repair homes damaged by pyrite.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan says that the funding will be put in place for approximately 1,000 homes that are in immediate need of repair and will be implemented by the Pyrite Resolution Board.

Additional funding will be also be allocated over the next two years from the Capital Stimulus Programme in early 2014 according to the minister.

The scheme will also provide vouched costs of up to €2,500 for homeowners to remove furnishings form their homes during renovation and up to €3,000 in accommodation costs.

Homeowners who have already paid for home repairs as a result of pyrite damage will not received any compensation however.

The minister says that, despite the remediation scheme, the state is neither culpable nor liable for the pyrite problem, it was he says was “another building scar” from the Celtic Tiger.

Speaking at the announcement of the scheme, Minster Hogan said that he is aware that it has been a “difficult time” for pyrite affected homeowners but that complex legal issues had to be addressed before a resolution could be finalised:

I have full confidence in the commitment of the PRB to having the pyrite remediation scheme operable as quickly as possible. The legislation to put the Pyrite Resolution Board on a statutory footing and to give effect to the remediation scheme will be enacted before the end of this year.

Read: Details of pyrite repair funding due tomorrow >

Read: New rules on buildings hope to avoid repeat of Priory Hall disaster >

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45 Comments
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    Mute John
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:04 AM

    I find they are a convenient sheltered location for cooking up heroin in central Dublin!

    139
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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:18 PM

    Or having a slash on the way home from the pub ?

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    Mute Justin Devaney
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:27 PM

    What? There’s a phone in these toilets

    15
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:27 AM

    They should do what they are doing in New York and change them into Free Wifi spots with facility to contact the emergency services and facility for phone charging

    114
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    Mute Veronica
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:05 AM

    Isn’t the point that a lot of the people using phone boxes can’t afford smartphones/don’t have access to one?

    74
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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:21 PM

    Time to move into the digital age grandma…I’ll mind your horse and cart

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    Mute John Campbell
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:14 AM

    How many of these phone boxes are in working order? If the phone is working what condition is the box in?

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    Mute L-Plate
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:47 AM

    In Dublin they’re used by junkies to call their dealers, that and toilets

    114
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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:19 PM

    Eh…I resemble that remark !

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    Mute The Dark Prince MBE
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:17 AM

    How will I change into Superman if they’re gone ???

    83
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    Mute Del Haven
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:02 AM

    Easy, revolving doors.

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    Mute jack napier
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:28 AM

    For the first time in years , my phone died and needed to make a call , I actually had to find a public pay phone

    68
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:32 AM

    I don’t think I’d remember anyone’s phone number if it was me

    100
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    Mute OU812
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:23 AM

    Make them into those phone on a pole things that just have a little rain shelter overhead & no walls. Problem solved.

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:18 AM

    On a recent trip to Japan I remarked that the public phone boxes now accept payment by SMS….

    42
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    Mute Raphael Bellamy
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:31 AM

    Elderly people are not able to open the doors on those telephone boxes. Never have been.

    30
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    Mute Adrienne Lyons
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:11 AM

    Lots of elderly have no mobiles and if they did they would probably be to afraid to take them out.

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    Mute Lee Power
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:13 AM

    Comreg isn’t the energy regulator?

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    Mute Karl Kenny
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:02 AM

    Communication regulator

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    Mute Boganity
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:25 PM

    Goddam it Lee try pay attention

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    Mute Fintan Oflaois
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:16 AM

    Phone boxes? Oh yes, I remember them. They used to have them in the country where I am now, but I haven’t seen one for years. They were phased out because the cost of maintaining them and repairing them after they had been vandalised was completely out of proportion to their usefulness.

    In Ireland, it would probably work out a lot cheaper than maintaining phone boxes if Social Protection just gave free phones to the old people who needed them and couldn’t afford them. They could even come with settings that facilitated only calls to free or lo-call numbers.

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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:43 AM

    So you are totally unaware of the victims of domestic violence and children then.

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    Mute David Quim
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    Aug 8th 2016, 9:32 AM

    Padraig, you might try reading what people actually write rather than drawing stiúpid conclusions from what you think is there. It would not be very difficult for Social Protection to supply phones also to the vulnerable groups you mention. Besides, if domestic violence victims and terrified children are able to escape the home, surely anyone with a mobile phone (and that’s most everyone nowadays) will call the Gardaí or other authorities?

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    Mute Joe Conlon
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:45 AM

    @David, Unfortunately David, the victims of the abuses named by Padraig often do not call the Gardai for years and don’t call them because of a number of reasons.

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    Mute David Quim
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    Aug 8th 2016, 11:01 AM

    That is unfortunately true, and very sad. But society must tackle this problem in other ways, because I suspect these victims’ reluctance to call the Gardaí has little to do with the availability of phone boxes.

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    Mute Thomas Delaney
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    Aug 8th 2016, 2:06 PM

    Micheal/Fiona/Fintan/Dave o keefe You are the saddest individual I’ve ever encountered online. How many accounts do you have exactly you pos troll? Smh

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    Mute Fintan Oflaois
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    Aug 8th 2016, 3:36 PM

    Why don’t YOU tell us if you have any proof to back up such an insane allegation? Those who accuse other posters of using multiple handles are usually major trolls themselves, or else rather disturbed paranoid conspiracy theorists. Are you sure your tinfoil hat is on properly? ROFL

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    Mute Thomas Delaney
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:17 PM

    You’re disgusting micheal/Fiona/Fintan/david o Keefe. Get a life you vile troll.

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    Mute Fintan Oflaois
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:49 PM

    Does your mammy know you’re at the computer again? LOL

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    Mute Gareth Stewart
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:27 AM

    Was really stuck about a year back and went to use one in Donegal town. 2 Euro to call a mobile. Went to my local and used theirs instead out of principal

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Aug 8th 2016, 10:53 AM

    There will be a massive queue to use the Freephone numbers.

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Aug 8th 2016, 3:25 PM

    Supermans screwed so

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    Mute t
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    Aug 8th 2016, 1:11 PM

    They are mostly used by drug dealers and drunks to urinate in.

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    Mute dublinlad
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    Aug 8th 2016, 11:37 AM

    It’s a sad indication that people in need are dependent on these. They don’t have friends, family or a neighbor to turn to, to make a call?

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    Mute Kers Neil
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    Aug 8th 2016, 1:53 PM

    Cant remember the last time I saw someone use a phonebox, let alone a vulnerable elderly person. If that is their function, take them off the streets and put them in post offices or shops.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:43 PM

    As some places still have no signal…

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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Aug 8th 2016, 1:16 PM

    chaos ya right

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