Residents of pyrite-stricken estate urged to take a class action against Mayo County Council
Residents of a Westport housing estate affected by pyrite have been advised by local councillors to take a class action against Mayo County Council to secure compensation for demolition and rebuilding costs.
The issue was raised during a meeting of the Westport and Belmullet Municipal District, where councillors accused Mayo County Council of leaving residents of Páirc na Coille estate “high and dry”.
Built in 2003 on Golf Course Road, the estate was developed as an affordable housing scheme by Mayo County Council in partnership with housing body Respond.
At least 33 homes in the 54-unit estate have tested positive for pyrite, leaving many with no option but to demolish and rebuild.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy said the local authority had a responsibility to support affected residents and insisted the “onus and duty” was on Mayo County Council to “step up”.
“The council handed out the keys to those people, and as soon as the houses got pyrite, Mayo County Council kept receiving the mortgage [payments],” he said.
He said it was “terrible to think” that people were continuing to repay mortgages on homes allocated to them by Mayo County Council while the houses were “falling down around” them.
“Money is tight enough, but to be paying back a mortgage and your house falling down, and Mayo County Council [are] basically saying ‘it’s not our issue’,
“I think that was handled very badly, to be honest, from day one,” he added.
“We talk about people’s mental health, but the people on that estate, what they went through was absolutely shocking. All Mayo County Council seemed to do was keep kicking the ball away.”
Cllr Mulroy also raised concerns about the timeline surrounding both the discovery of pyrite in the estate and how the issue was subsequently communicated.
“Who knew what when? That is the biggest problem I have with this whole situation,
“Should the alarm bells have been ringing earlier? I think so. I think a lot of people knew stuff and they didn’t say anything,” he told the meeting.
Cllr Mulroy concluded by calling for a dedicated compensation scheme for residents.
“Mayo County Council let the people of Páirc na Coille down very badly, and I think a compensation scheme should be put in place,” he said.
His proposal was seconded by fellow Westport councillors John O’Malley and Peter Flynn.
Cllr Flynn urged residents to take a class action, while echoing Cllr Mulroy’s concerns about the timeline of events surrounding the communication of pyrite in the estate.
“Class action needs to be taken by the residents. Regrettably, we all know stuff was known and wasn’t dealt with, and it has resulted in costing people a lot of money,” he said.
While acknowledging that nobody could have predicted pyrite in the housing blocks, Cllr Flynn questioned the delay in informing homeowners once the problem had been identified.
He said knowledge of pyrite in people’s homes came “a lot earlier than when it was officially communicated.”
“I think class action is the only thing that can happen [now], and it’s the only way they will ever get full compensation for what has been a scandal - there’s no point pretending otherwise,” he said.