Derelict Sites
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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James Browne (FF), Wexford

As usual, more mud to hide the lack of answers and solutions. It is the local authorities’ job to collect this money. The Deputy is right about the €32 million. Imagine that local authorities, some of which are complaining about not having enough money, are leaving €32 million uncollected. The Deputy is telling me they do not have the staff to collect it. They do and it is up to them. They are leaving this money behind because they are not collecting it. It is their job to collect it. They have the laws to collect it and they have laws to apply. They are not collecting the levy and are leaving properties derelict. Therefore, I do not accept for one second that local authorities do not have the staff to do this. They do. Imagine not collecting €32 million. It is not my job to do the local authorities’ job for them. There are thousands of staff working in the authorities and they have well-paid CEOs and directors of services. It is their job to do their job and the Deputy should not come in here, week after week, to tell me I have to do the local authorities’ job for them. It is their job to do their job, and they need to do it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22