Donegal County Council has backed a motion from Cllr Joy Beard of 100% Redress Party calling for a new, full and transparent audit of every quarry in the county.
The council will submit a request to the National Building Control & Market Surveillance Office (NBCMSO) to revisit Donegal and conduct the audit with the support of the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI).
Councillor Joy Beard raised the motion with the aim of having the most up-to-date scientific findings applied to the testing of quarry products.
Peer-reviewed and government funded research, commissioned by the Department of Housing, which has confirmed that pyrrhotite and framboidal pyrite are the primary causes of concrete failure in Ireland, through the mechanism of an internal sulphate attack.
Cllr Beard said: “The last Donegal audit in 2021/22 was limited. Only three quarries had aggregates tested in detail, results were anonymised, and harmful minerals such as pyrrhotite, framboidal pyrite and other deleterious materials were excluded from scope. Since then, the science has moved on and it is now undeniable that internal sulphate attack is the cause of our crumbling homes. That makes a full in-depth audit both appropriate and urgent.”
Councillor Beard is requesting a comprehensive audit that covers several key areas, including comprehensive testing of every quarry in Donegal. This testing, she said, should include random sampling from multiple sections of the quarry face, rather than only sampling from stockpiles. Cllr Beard said the audit must involve targeted testing for pyrrhotite, framboidal pyrite, and other deleterious materials.
Quarry-by-quarry results should be published, she said, to hold operators accountable.
“It is not only a way to restore confidence in the construction supply chain, it’s about ensuring every home and every remediation is free from risk of failure,” Cllr Beard told the council.
Following the passing of Cllr Beard’s motion on Monday, Donegal County Council will now write to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Director of Service Liam Ward said: “It is important to acknowledge that any Market Surveillance investigation is a point in time exercise and provides a picture of the state of play at the time of inspection. It is not the role of a Market Surveillance Authority to certify construction products or confirm compliance with standards and specifications.”
Cllr Beard added: “This is not about punishing the industry. I am confident that all stakeholders including the quarries themselves will welcome a thorough, science-based audit, because it is the only way to restore confidence in the supply chain. Families and communities across Donegal deserve to know that the materials being used in their homes today are safe, durable and fully compliant. We must never allow history to repeat itself.”
Full audit sought on every quarry in Donegal was last modified: September 30th, 2025 by Staff Writer