Local Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne has criticised the government over what she describes as a failure to tackle dereliction, as thousands of homes and buildings across the country remain vacant and more than €26 million in Derelict Sites Levies remain uncollected.
Deputy Byrne made the comments following the government’s decision to vote down the Sinn Féin Derelict Sites (Amendment) Bill 2022 in the Dáil. The proposed legislation aimed to introduce greater accountability in the collection of the Derelict Sites Levy and prevent responsibility for enforcement being passed between government departments and local authorities.
The government has since announced that responsibility for collecting the levy will transfer to Revenue, but not until 2027. There will also be no backdated collection, a move that has been described as effectively introducing a two year amnesty on the Derelict Sites Levy.
Teachta Byrne said:
“There was a total of €105k in Derelict Sites Levies owed to Louth County Council as of 31 December 2024, with €26 million owed across the state. That money could be used to bring buildings back into use, to deliver new homes and invest in local authorities. It is a no-brainer but instead, this government intends to introduce an amnesty. For two years, speculators will be allowed to leave these homes to rot while local authorities are given no additional funding to collect the levies.
“For 36 years, the Derelict Sites Levy has been in place. In that time, local authorities have repeatedly called for more resources and support to allow them to collect this. Instead, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have done what they do best. They’ve protected their buddies – the speculators and large developers who leave homes and buildings to rot in the heart of our communities.
“This week in the Dáil, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had the opportunity to allow accountability and transparency into the collection of the levies. They are very quick to point the finger at councils and blame them. This legislation would have forced the issue into the open.
“People are taken to court for failing to pay their TV licence or a parking fine. They are penalised and forced to pay these penalties. How can speculators leave homes and buildings to rot with no punishment?
“There are almost 70 derelict sites across Louth. That is scandalous. I am sick and tired of dereliction. I am sick of seeing beautiful towns and cities in this state fall to pieces because someone thinks they can make a few bob from flipping a site.
“It’s long past time for the government to take this issue seriously. We need real action – urgently. My party colleague Cllr. Debbie McCole and I have liaised with Louth County Council on derelict sites in Drogheda. In recent months we have seen movement on two such sites that we reported, but there is a lot more to do. It is a battle we will continue to fight.”
