Several hundred homeowners file legal cases over mica blocks

Several hundred cases have been filed in the High Court in recent weeks from homeowners whose properties have been affected by defective mica blocks.

Some 600 legal cases have been filed on behalf of homeowners over mica causing large cracks in their walls.

The cases have been taken against Cassidy Brothers, a large supplier of concrete in Donegal, as well as Donegal County Council and the National Standards Authority of Ireland, the agency that sets standards for construction products.

Homeowners in the large group of civil cases are being represented by legal firm Coleman Legal Partners, which specialises in medical negligence and personal injuries cases.

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Dave Coleman, who is handling the cases, said the law firm had 1,200 clients affected by the mica scandal, with that number likely to increase to 2,000. The firm had issued writs in about 600 cases so far, with a further 300 to issue in the coming days.

In a statement, the supplier Cassidy Brothers said it had “no comment to make on the matters which are currently before the High Court”.

Industry standards

“Cassidy Bros has always adhered rigidly to the industry standards set down by Government and regulatory bodies in the manufacturing of all products. All Cassidy Bros products always met all of the required standards at the point of manufacture,” the statement said.

The scope of a Government remediation scheme to fund homeowners rebuilding affected properties has proved controversial politically, over complaints that the scheme does not go far enough.

Campaigners in Donegal have said the scheme is flawed, excludes numerous properties and would mean many affected people would still have to put thousands of euro towards rebuilding their homes.

The grant scheme could end up costing €3.65 billion if inflation runs consistently high, up from an original estimate of about €2.2 billion when it was agreed by Cabinet last November.

There is no certainty over the final number of homes affected but it is possible the problem will extend beyond Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Sligo and Tipperary.

Earlier this month, Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh voted against Government legislation underpinning the mica redress scheme, which he said fell short “on a number of fronts” for people in terms of accessibility and affordability.