Property Risk Check
Mica & Pyrite in Ireland
Check defective concrete block (mica and pyrite) risk and grant-scheme designations for any property across all 26 Irish counties. Powered by official government data sources.
Risk Overview
How do I check a house for mica or pyrite before buying?
Mica and pyrite are defective concrete block problems that cause progressive cracking and, in serious cases, structural failure. Start with where the home is and when it was built: certain local-authority areas are designated under the State’s Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme, others fall within the older Pyrite Remediation Scheme, and most affected homes date from the late 1990s onward. A PropertyPack report flags whether a property’s area is covered by either scheme as one of its official checks.
Area cover is the screening step, not the diagnosis. Where there is real doubt, a competent person carries out an assessment to I.S. 465, the national standard, which core-samples the blocks and grades the damage. Ask the seller whether such an assessment exists before you bid, and treat visible external render cracking as a prompt to investigate, not proof on its own.
By The Numbers
Mica & Pyrite across the 26 counties.
6
Higher risk
6
Medium risk
14
Lower risk
How this banding works: higher counties are whole local-authority areas designated under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme; medium counties are designated in part or fall within the Pyrite Remediation Scheme area; the rest are not currently designated under either scheme. Designation describes State grant eligibility for an area, not a verdict on any individual home, and defective blocks can still affect a house outside a designated area. Enter an Eircode for the scheme status and build era at a specific address.
By County
Mica & Pyrite
across Ireland.
Higher risk counties (6)
fertile lowlands along the River Barrow with the Blackstairs Mountains to the east
Atlantic coastline, the Burren karst landscape, and the Cliffs of Moher
rugged Atlantic coastline, Derryveagh Mountains, and remote peninsulas
Shannon estuary lowlands with the Ballyhoura and Galtee Mountains to the south
Atlantic bogs, Croagh Patrick, Clew Bay and the remote Mullet Peninsula
limestone plateaus around Benbulben, Lough Gill and Atlantic surfing beaches
Medium risk counties (6)
coastal lowlands rising to the Dublin Mountains in the south
flat fertile plains of the Curragh with the Bog of Allen to the west
fertile Boyne Valley lowlands rich in archaeological heritage
midlands bogland with the Slieve Bloom Mountains along the southern border
midlands lakeland centred on Lough Ennell and Lough Owel
sunny south-east coastline with the Blackstairs Mountains inland
From County to Address
County banding is a start. Check the actual property.
County risk levels are relative. Enter an Eircode for the mica & pyrite at a specific address, alongside the rest of the 18 official checks.
All Risk Categories
Other property
risk checks.
Flood Risk
flood zone mapping and historical flooding data
Radon Risk
EPA radon level estimates and zone classifications
Property Prices
recent sale prices and market trends
Broadband Coverage
available internet speeds and providers
Crime Statistics
local crime rates and safety data
Schools
primary and secondary school information
Planning Applications
recent and pending planning applications
Air Quality
air pollution levels and monitoring data
BER Rating
building energy rating and efficiency data
Transport & Commute
public transport access and drive-time commute data
Every guide on this page is one of the 18 checks in the full property report for any Irish Eircode. See all of them together on the sample report.
Mica & Pyrite FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Which counties are designated for the mica and pyrite schemes?
The Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme designates Carlow, Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo in full, with Dublin, Meath and Wexford designated in part (certain local-authority areas only). Separately, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme covers pyritic heave in parts of Dublin, Kildare, Limerick, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath. Designations have expanded over time, so check the current position for the specific area.
How do I check if a property in Ireland has mica or pyrite?
Start with the property's Eircode on PropertyPack.ie: the report flags whether its area is covered by the Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme or the Pyrite Remediation Scheme, alongside the build era. For a confirmed diagnosis, a competent person carries out an assessment to I.S. 465 (revised edition published June 2026), which core-samples the blocks and lab-tests them.
What is the Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme?
The Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme helps owners of homes damaged by defective concrete blocks (mica or pyrrhotite) to remediate them, with grants up to €462,000 per dwelling in designated local-authority areas. To June 2026 the scheme had 3,598 applications and 542 completed remediations.
Should I still buy a house that might have mica or pyrite?
It is not an automatic no, but factor in the risk before you bid. Ask for any I.S. 465 (revised edition published June 2026) assessment, check the build era (many affected homes date from the late 1990s onward), and confirm whether the area is covered by a State scheme. The Pyrite Remediation Scheme closes to new applications on 30 November 2026, so timing matters for pyrite-affected homes.
How do I check mica & pyrite for a specific property?
Enter the property's Eircode on PropertyPack.ie. Your report covers defective concrete block (mica and pyrite) risk and grant-scheme designations along with the rest of its 18 official checks. Reports use official government data, and the free snapshot is ready in about a minute.
Official data sourced from Irish government agencies
Check Any Eircode
Check Mica & Pyrite for
any Irish property.
Enter the property's Eircode. Your report covers defective concrete block (mica and pyrite) risk and grant-scheme designations as part of 18 official checks.
Free snapshot. No card. No account. Ready in about a minute.
