Council says it will remedy Summerhill houses' pyrite problems

Meath County Council has said it will take whatever steps are necessary to fix the problems caused by pyrite in a number of its houses in Cherry Court, Summerhill. Testing and surveys have been carried out and it is understood that seven out of eight houses in one row are affected by the material which expands on contact with moisture. Residents in the affected houses have seen cracks appearing in walls and ceilings throughout their homes as well as lumps of plaster falling off walls in some cases. They are now calling on the local authority to resolve the problems as soon as possible. Noreen Lee moved into her home in Cherry Court seven years ago and shortly after moving in, cracks began to appear on the walls. Ms Lee said she got the builder to come out and look at it about two months after moving in and he said they were just settling cracks and were normal. "They just got worse and worse. Cracks kept coming every day of the week. A lump of plaster fell off the wall between the sitting room and the hall and I'm afraid the wall is going to fall down," said Ms Lee. She added that the council had carried out tests around Easter 2011 but they had never got the results. A spokesperson for Meath County Council said: "Meath County Council has been aware of the problems at Cherry Court for some time. Following a survey and testing of materials from the houses, a final report on the matter has been received and is currently being assessed and considered by the Council. The Council shares the concern of the residents and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution of the problem." Meath West Fine Gael TD Ray Butler has been working with the residents on the pyrite issue for some time. He said: "The government report has come out and the council now has to look at the report and see who is accountable for the seven out of the eight houses that have pyrite to see is it the contractor that is accountable or the quarries and if it is viable to pursue them and, if not they will have to deal with it themselves."