Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 November 2012
473. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that section 5 of the Derelict Sites Act is not robust enough to deal with uncooperative landowners or in cases where the ownership of land may be disputed and particularly in relation to a property (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [52465/12]
View answerUnder the Derelict Sites Act 1990 local authorities are required to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end, they have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require specified measures to be taken in relation to a derelict site, to impose a levy on derelict sites, or to compulsorily acquire any derelict site. I expect local authorities to use their statutory powers as they consider appropriate.While I have no plans to amend the Derelict Sites Act at this time, I will keep the need for further legislative reforms to assist local authorities in addressing issues of dereliction under review. Local authorities also have powers under other legislation to deal with derelict sites or structures, for example, under the Sanitary Services Act 1963.
