'Too many derelict properties in Tipp' - Browne

Tipperary Sinn Féin TD Martin Browne has responded to the recent revelation that Tipperary County Council is encountering difficulty in collecting derelict sites levies.

Deputy Browne said: “There are too many derelict properties in this country, despite Ireland being in the midst of a housing crisis which is fuelling homelessness.

“The potential that returning vacant and derelict sites back into use has for increasing the public housing provision cannot be overemphasised.

“However, it is acknowledged that under the current system, there is a significant shortfall in the collection of derelict sites levies for a number of reasons. That is why as a party, Sinn Féin introduced the Derelict Sites Amendment Bill 2022 which is still before the Oireachtas.

“This Bill would place an onus on local authorities that collect less than 75% of the levies owed to produce a comprehensive report for the Minister for Housing, outlining how they will collect the outstanding levies and why they did not collect them in the first place.

“This will give the Minister a clear insight into the challenges facing the councils, and the responsibility will be on the Minister to address this and give the local authorities the assistance they need to facilitate the collection of the full amount.

“Improvements in collecting this levy could be transformative. There has never been a good time to let empty houses deteriorate. But to have this happen in the middle of a Housing Crisis is morally wrong and needs to be penalised effectively.”