Sinn Féin seeks more information from councils on derelict sites levy collection

Legislation aimed at forcing councils to publish more information as to why they have not collected the derelict sites levy has been drafted by Sinn Féin.

Sinn Féin Cork North-Central Deputy Thomas Gould said the levy regime came into law in 1990 but was still not being enforced.

“Everyone is blaming everyone,” he said in relation to this issue, but the legislation his party had produced would “tie everyone down” and increase transparency.

The legislation would create a requirement for a local authority that has collected less than 75 per cent of the levy due in its area to publish a report outlining reasons for not collecting the levy and the level of engagement they have undertaken with site owners.

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“This would include a requirement to outline any concerns the local authority has in relation to resourcing, staffing or other issues preventing them from collecting levies,” he said.

“The Minister [for Housing] would then be required to publish a reply, addressing the issues raised.”

A spokeswoman for Sinn Féin said the proposed Bill had been through the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers and was “now with the drafters”.

Levy figures

In November Deputy Gould, who is on the Oireachtas housing committee, was given information showing that only €378,000 was collected in 2020 by way of the levy, while there was €12.5 million in cumulative unpaid charges.

Imposing the levy – an annual charge of 7 per cent of the value of a site – is among the powers that local authorities can use to deal with the issue of unused properties.

However, the figures for 2020 showed that eight councils that sought to impose the levy failed to collect any income from it, and that 13 local authorities did not impose any levy at all.

Mr Gould said there were 1,548 sites on the derelict sites register, but there should be “thousands” more.

“It is time for the Minister, the Government and local authorities to be held to account” for failing to collect the levy, he said.

“My legislation would impose transparency and accountability across local and national government where there are failures to collect the derelict sites levy.

“Right across this State, there are thousands of potential homes falling further and further into disrepair. Many of these are being left idle and rotting in the middle of a housing crisis by land hoarders.”

In November, in response to Mr Gould’s criticisms, the Department of Housing said it continued to liaise with local authorities on the implementation of the Derelict Sites Act with a view to improving its effectiveness, and continued to keep the relevant provisions under review.