Vacant Properties
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-11
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Frankie Feighan (FG), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am glad to have the opportunity on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, to clarify the position regarding the demolition of these partially completed houses at Ballypadeen, Cashel in Tipperary. The Minister sends his apologies. He will be in the House for five hours for the debate on the residential tenancies Bill and cannot attend this morning.
Working to end dereliction and vacancy is a key priority in the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The programme for Government and the housing plan contain a range of measures to address dereliction. However, the reality is that some unfinished units cannot be saved and require demolition.
In respect of the property referenced above, neither the derelict units in question nor the site they were built on are owned by Tipperary County Council. The units were constructed over 20 years ago as tourism accommodation ancillary to a permitted hotel. They were not designed, permitted or ever intended for permanent residential use and they have remained incomplete for almost 20 years.
The land in question is unzoned, poorly serviced and located outside the settlement boundary of Cashel. Were it deemed suitable for long-term social housing development, the local authority may have considered a compulsory purchase order, CPO. However, there is no viable option to adapt the existing structures for residential use. The extent of work required to meet modern residential standards would be prohibitive and likely necessitate full demolition and reconstruction.
I understand the council is currently progressing a Part 8 planning application to remove the derelict structures as part of the agreed remediation approach. The future development of the land after that remediation is complete rests entirely with the owners. Any proposals will be subject to the county development plan and the statutory planning process.
Tipperary County Council’s social housing delivery under Housing for All was ahead of target and it is expected to continue its strong record of delivery under the housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. I firmly believe the commitment Government has made to address vacancy and dereliction and the actions under Delivering Homes, Building Communities will play a vital role in delivering homes across the country. Notwithstanding that, effective use of Exchequer funding is essential and only viable projects should proceed. It is unfortunate, as the Deputy has raised, that some incomplete developments need to be demolished but, in this case, demolition of these unfinished units is necessary given they are in private ownership and not suitable for long-term residential use.
I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this important issue and I hope this goes some way to explaining the rationale behind this decision.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-11