There are more than 1,000 social houses in Donegal that are visibly cracked due to defective concrete blocks, including 89 council-owned homes lying empty because of the scale of the damage. It said the survey identified 300 social houses where cracks were visible due to defective concrete blocks on more than one side of the house. “Of these 300 houses, 89 were vacant due to the damage caused by defective concrete blocks. “In total there are 1,048 of Donegal County Council’s social homes exhibiting pattern cracking consistent with the presence of defective blockwork. The council is now updating its survey of affected social homes every quarter, and has carried out tests on the vacant social homes that appear to be affected.

Source: The Irish Times November 26, 2025 14:32 UTC