Family's £100k repair bill fears as first Mica case confirmed in Northern Ireland

A family in Londonderry fear they will have to demolish their home if they can’t afford to fix the damage caused by defective blocks.

It’s believed the Rafferty’s are the first family in Northern Ireland affected by the Mica scandal which has blighted homes in the Republic.

Mica is a mineral found in rock that causes concrete blocks to absorb too much water.

Affected blocks crack then crumble and have already destroyed thousands of homes in County Donegal.

Danny Rafferty, his wife Kate and their two children live in the Ballyarnett area less than a mile from the border.

They bought breeze blocks from suppliers in Donegal when building their home in 2006.

Danny told UTV he suspected his house might have Mica but didn’t want to believe it

“The cracks just kept coming and getting worse and the plaster kept bubbling…. we got the test done and we got the results back telling us it was Mica.”

Danny believes the cost of repairs could reach £100,000.

Damage by defective blocks isn’t covered by their home insurance.

Because they live in Northern Ireland they’re unlikely to qualify for any compensation under the Irish Government’s multi-billion euro redress scheme.

“I would describe it as gut  wrenching because I’m not going to have the money to fix this. It will wipe me out financially," said Danny.

Protestors in the Republic claim the Irish Government Redress Scheme won’t meet the full cost of rebuilds or repairs for many affected.

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