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After the government signs an agreement to assist affected homeowners, it will spend 2.2 billion euros on rebuilding properties

Earlier this year, thousands of mica protesters gathered for a rally in central Dublin. Photo: Steve Humphries

Danny Maloney and his daughter Amy are outside their mica-influenced home in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. Photo: Paul McCarthy

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien praised the revised mica remediation plan as an "extraordinary" intervention by the state.

It is estimated that the cost of reconstruction and restoration of 7,500 houses has soared to 2.2 billion euros.

After months of intense debate, the government signed an agreement to help affected homeowners.

Mica is a natural mineral found in rocks excavated in quarries.

The most common mica minerals found in rocks and blocks are muscovite, biotite and phlogopite.

The total amount of mica impurities in the building block should be at most 1 piece.

An impurity/mica content of 17% was found in the blocks of some affected houses in Co Donegal.

Mica absorbs moisture from the air, and over time, the mica will destroy the strength of the blocks, causing them to crack and break.

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Mica caused defects in the building blocks used by thousands of families in Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, and Claire.

How the blocks affected by mica enter the market is often seen as a quarry and lack of government supervision and supervision.

The exterior wall will initially crack in a mesh pattern, leading to fragments and cracks in the plaster.

Some buildings have large cracks along the outer walls, extending from the ground to the roof. As the block loses its structure, the walls become unsafe and risk collapsing. Some family homes are currently uninhabitable.

Danny Maloney and his daughter Amy are outside their mica-influenced home in Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare. Photo: Paul McCarthy

It has been suggested that as many as 10,000 houses across the country may be affected. However, the number of houses currently included in the estimated cost of reconstruction is 7,500.

The cabinet finally agreed to a plan that will provide 100% compensation for the affected houses with a maximum limit of 420,000 euros per household.

The compensation plan is initially 90%, up to 247,000 Euros.

This is a huge point of conflict between activists and the government.

The overall projected cost of the program has almost tripled, from more than 800 million euros to 2.2 billion euros.

The cost of renting alternative properties during the reconstruction period is also a major sticking point between activists and the government.

The new plan will give homeowners the right to receive up to 15,000 euros in alternative accommodation costs during the reconstruction period, as well as 5,000 euros in storage costs.

Holiday homes are not included in the plan, but rental properties only need to be registered with the Residential Tenancy Commission.

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