DERRY NEWS
As a Derry home becomes one of the first confirmed cases of 'mica' in Northern Ireland, Derry Now reporter Catherine McGinty explains why 'mica' is a misleading term which barely scratches the surface of this unprecedented crisis.A Derry home has been described as the first in Northern Ireland with a confirmed case of mica.
Danny and Kate Rafferty, from Beragh Hill Road in the Skeoge area of the city, carried out testing on their blocks when telltale 'spider cracks' appeared on the outer wall and chimney of their house.
As a journalist who covered the issue of defective concrete and defective concrete products extensively in Inishowen in recent years, I was struck by the framing of this news.
Reports of a house in the city built in 2006 ‘having mica’ exposed a worrying and substantial gap in experience, knowledge and understanding of the subject between Derry and Donegal.
For the latter, the word ‘mica’ has become shorthand for physically crumbling homes and foundations and utterly devastated families.
However, international scientific research has proven beyond doubt that mica is not the problem. The term ‘mica crisis’ is a complete misnomer.
I will address how and why the idea of ‘mica being the problem' gained such traction, unfortunately, later in this piece.
Continue reading @ Derry News.
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