A director of Engineers Ireland has raised concerns about conducting partial repairs to homes affected by mica rather than carrying out a full demolition and rebuild.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Damien Owens said their concerns relate to mica-affected concrete blocks being left in the property after partial remediation.
"The long-term implications of remediation is yet to be determined," he said. "It probably will work but it could come back, that is where the fear lies."
Mr Owens said they are in the early stages of the scheme and testing the blocks.
A report by Engineers Ireland warns that recommending partial repair works may result in engineers being exposed to compensation claims later if further repair work is required in the future.
Meanwhile a Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal has said fixing issues caused by defective concrete blocks will be expensive, but Charlie McConalogue said he supports a 100% redress scheme.
A draft report carried out by a working group on the defective concrete blocks grant scheme has said the overall cost to fix issues in homes affected by mica could reach up to €3.2 billion.
The Department of Housing estimates that 6,600 homes may require remediation works as a result of defective concrete blocks.
The draft report includes a 100% grant only for remediation options that involve repairs to the existing home, rather than the complete demolition to foundation level of the home.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr McConalogue said he will be working with Government colleagues to deliver a scheme that will fully cover the cost of repairing thousands of homes.
"There has been significant progress made on this," he said.
He said he believes 1,500 homeowners have come forward so far and has "no doubt" there are many more than that.
Opposition say draft report 'deeply disappointing'
SF TD @PearseDoherty says 18 houses were demolished in the summer in Donegal, that is 18 family homes. We are now paying the price of the Fianna Fáil era in Government #MICA
— The Week in Politics (@rtetwip) October 3, 2021
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Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty has said the State needs to "do right" by families affected by mica products.
The Donegal TD said families in Donegal are looking for 100% redress, which he said represents equality with what was "given to the 2,000 pyrite home owners in Dublin and north Leinster".
Speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, Mr Doherty said it is "deeply disappointing" that the working group set up by Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien has not recommended 100% redress where demolition is involved.
He said there were 18 homes demolished in Donegal over the summer.
"That's 18 family homes. 18 homes where mothers and fathers raised their kids," he said.
"They never thought they'd be standing on their lawns looking at the bulldozer ripping through their homes."
Mr Doherty also said we are now "paying the price of Fianna Fáil's era in government.
SD TD @CathMurphyTD says we have to look at the scenario where houses are a risk to the people living in them #MICA #RTETWIP #RTEPolitics
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Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy told RTÉ's The Week in Politics that the Government must address the situations of those whose houses pose a risk to them.
"We have to look at the scenario where houses are a risk to the people who are living in them.
"The State has already accepted liability, in that there is a scheme in place ... but it can't be there in principle and not in practice."
Ms Murphy said "lessons must be learned" from the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.
