style="text-align: left;">Over 10,000 homes in the East of the country could face pyrite related problems in the future.

style="text-align: left;">A panel – set up last year to review the issue – says properties in seventy four estates in five local authority areas – Fingal, Meath, Dublin City, Kildare and Offaly are at risk.

So far 1,100 homes built between 2002 and 2006 have had remedial work carried out – while 850 others are currently seeking urgent repair work – estimated to cost around 45,000 euro.

The Environment Minister Phil Hogan says stakeholders with responsibility for the problem – including builders and insurers – have until the end of September to agree on a solution:

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