asked the Minister for the Environment when it is proposed to introduce the annual 10 per cent tax on derelict sites, which was promised in the Fine Gael-Labour Joint Programme for Government.
Written Answers. - Taxing of Derelict Sites.
46.
Proinsias de Rossa
I refer the Deputy to a reply by the Minister for Finance to a related question from the Deputy — Official Report, Volume 361, columns 720 and 721. The question of a tax on derelict sites is being considered but complex issues, such as the need to discriminate between genuine developers and speculators and the impact on the building industry, still need to be resolved.
On the general question of dereliction in urban areas, the report of the Joint Committee on Building Land recommended measures designed to improve the supply of urban land and I am having these considered. I propose to bring forward legislation to consolidate and modernise the powers of local authorities in relation to the acquisition and disposal of land and this will, among other things, enable local authorities to deal more effectively with derelict sites.