Vacant Properties
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City

Once again, I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to give an update on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. As I previously stated, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act, the Minister with responsibility for planning is precluded from exercising any power of control in relation to a particular case with which the planning authority, An Coimisiún Pleanála, is or may be concerned. In addition, in accordance with section 63 of the Local Government Act, local authorities are independent in the performance of their duties. As I said previously, the Government is committed to tackling vacancy and dereliction. I assure the Deputy that it is committed to this through a range of measures and with the support of all key stakeholders, including local authorities. By strengthening compulsory purchase powers, activating the derelict sites levy and the proposed introduction of the derelict property tax alongside providing targeted funds and supports for regeneration through local authorities, we are shifting from isolated interventions to a whole-of-government approach. Crucially, these measures are designed not only to incentivise action but to ensure accountability. Furthermore, the new recently published national housing action plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, builds on existing measures and programmes to tackle dereliction. Other specific actions beyond the derelict property tax announced in the budget include the provision of a digital national derelict sites register, an increased number of properties on the derelict sites register, increased compulsory acquisition of properties where owners have failed to engage with local authorities and increased collection of unpaid derelict sites. I will ask the Department to seek an update on the point the Deputy raised. Obviously, the councils are independent in the way they function in this area, but I will ask the Department of housing to seek an update from Galway County Council on this particular issue.

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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