SDLP seeking redress scheme for homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks

“I really do believe there are a considerable number of homes across Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh affected by defective concrete blocks and people won’t know until it is too late.”

This was the prediction of West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan, speaking to Derry Now at the SDLP’s annual conference in Derry’s St Columb’s Hall on Saturday.

Mr McCrossan said he was supporting Derry City and Strabane District Council’s ongoing initiative to establish how many properties in its area were affected by defective concrete products and blocks.

He added: “However, the problem is that when people find out this is in their property, there is nowhere to go next.

“So, while Derry City and Strabane District Council’s scheme is welcome, it is hampered by the fact there is no proper communication between council officials, who have a serious concern about the obvious signs there are defective concrete blocks in homes in our area, in Strabane, Derry and Castlederg, in border constituencies generally, and decision-makers at Assembly or Government level.

“It is entirely to be expected homes here are going to display the signs they contain defective concrete blocks, given how Donegal and Tyrone and Derry operate together.

“Strabane and Lifford or Tyrone and Derry and Donegal, work side by side. People naturally, organically cross the border every day for goods and services, to work and meet family members. It is just a natural way of life. There is no border. It is entirely hypothetical,” said Mr McCrossan.

The Strabane-based MLA said the defective concrete block issue was a “major concern” for the SDLP.

He added: “Derry City and Strabane District Council is asking us to ensure that people come forward if they think there is ‘mica’ or any sign of other [deleterious] minerals in the defective concrete blocks in their homes.

“And we can do that, we can encourage people and they can easily look at their homes and see the obvious signs and get their properties tested. Some homes won’t have defective concrete blocks and some will. The question I would ask is, ‘Where does anyone who discovers their home is affected by defective concrete blocks go next?’

“They can register with Derry City and Strabane District Council but, ultimately, they are stuck because there is no scheme to ensure their property does not deteriorate further. In addition, they are also left with a property which will ultimately be majorly under-valued because the official testing result will need to be disclosed in the event they go to sell. Homeowners are putting themselves in a corner.

West Tyrone MLA, Daniel McCrossan, at the SDLP’s annual conference in Derry’s St Columb’s Hall on Saturday

“So, there is an issue with people coming forward because in doing so, they will be putting themselves in a difficult situation, without some sort of redress coming from the Government and the SDLP has been working on that. This is not something new. As soon as ‘mica’ and the issues with the defective concrete blocks came about in the South, we immediately started writing to Departments in the North,” said Mr McCrossan.

In October 2021, SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh, Justin McNulty, tabled a Parliamentary Question to then Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey, on the issue.

He asked: “Whether there has been any impact on the structural integrity of houses in Northern Ireland as an outcome of the presence of mica in building materials and what redress her Department plans to provide to homeowners in such cases and if she had made a bid to the Minister of Finance to fund redress.”

The Minister replied: “A small number of social properties in the Foyle constituency were affected by mica in 2018 and repairs were completed at that time. Since then no issues have been reported to my Department in relation to mica impacting the structural integrity of houses here.

“No issues have been reported therefore redress is not applicable and as redress is not applicable, no bid for funding has been made.”

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Mr McNulty also asked the then Minister For Finance, Conor Murphy, whether there has been any impact on the structural integrity of houses in Northern Ireland as an outcome of the presence of the mineral mica in building materials; and what redress his Department provides to homeowners in such cases?

The Minister replied: “My Department does not have policy responsibility for housing and therefore does not have any schemes to provide redress to homeowners impacted by mica in building materials.”

Daniel McCrossan said: “If we are seeing many homes right along the border area, on the southern side, affected by defective blocks, and there was no proper policing of the sale of such materials, how do you prevent defective blocks coming into Tyrone and Derry, coming from the quarries in Donegal suspected of producing them?

“How do you properly trace the dispersal of these materials to various other retailers, who disperse them into the North. It was not policed.

“In the absence of all those proper measures, one can only assume, it is absolutely certain that these defective concrete blocks are somewhere in my constituency and somewhere in Derry.

“I don’t believe we have seen the full effect of defective concrete blocks yet. I definitely see the tell-tale signs in people’s homes when I am out and about. We warned Minister Murphy and Minister Hargey about our concerns in 2021 and they did not take any action.

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“But, if there is no redress scheme encouraging people to come forward or there is nothing happening to highlight the real issue that exists with defective concrete blocks, then no-one is going to come forward. I know of a house in Castlederg that absolutely has defective concrete blocks. It is deteriorating in front of the family’s eyes,” said Mr McCrossan.

Daniel McCrossan said affected homeowners are continually asking what they can do about defective concrete blocks.

He added: “In the current political vacuum, where there is no Assembly, no functioning Executive, no accountability, we are going to a Permanent Secretary who will just say, ‘there is no scheme’.

“You go to the Secretary of State and he has absolutely no understanding of what is happening on the South of this island, particularly with these defective blocks.

“I do believe within a time frame of the next five years, we are going to see the very serious impact this has. It is difficult in the absence of Government because there is no power but certainly the permanent secretaries for the Department for Communities and the Department of Finance, as well as the head of the civil service, need to be aware this is a train that is on the track and it is going to hit the station soon.

“The reality is many homes, many families are going to struggle. We have written to the secretary of State and to date, we have not received any acknowledgement or response,” said Mr McCrossan.

Daniel McCrossan added: “I would encourage people affected by defective concrete blocks, particularly across West Tyrone, Castlederg and Strabane, anyone straddling the border, in particular, Fermanagh, and in Derry who have built their own homes or moved into a new home within the last 10 years, to come forward and register their concern.

“That way we will be able to give some indication regarding the extensiveness of the defective concrete block issue.”