Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2015
292. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the estimated revenue, calculated by his Department, from a 3% vacant site levy, in accordance with the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015. [29514/15]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015, which is currently progressing through the Oireachtas, is primarily focussed on addressing housing supply-related issues with a view to facilitating increased activity in the housing construction sector, particularly in the Dublin area where demand currently outstrips supply.
One of the main provisions of the Bill is the introduction of a vacant site levy aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, underutilised sites in central urban areas for residential or regeneration development. Under the provisions of the Bill, the levy will be charged on the registered owners of vacant sites at a rate of 3% of the market value of each site, with reduced or zero rates applying in specific circumstances. At this time, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the annual levies that may be raised by planning authorities in the operation of the levy.
