Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017
731. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the register of vacant sites for Galway city and County Galway; the number and location of vacant sites on the register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42847/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017, and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June 2018 in respect of vacant sites on the register on 1 January 2018. The levy will be applied by planning authorities, commencing on 1 January 2019, in respect of sites which were vacant and on the vacant site register during the year 2018 and will subsequently be applied on an annual basis thereafter, as long as a site remains on the vacant site register in the preceding year.
Planning authorities are presently engaging in the necessary preparatory work, prior to the application of the levy with effect from January 2019 in respect of sites identified on the register in 2018. As required under the Act, this includes the identification of specific vacant sites for entry on the register as well as the registered owners of the sites in question along with undertaking a site valuation. Vacant site registers were established in January 2017 by planning authorities and the registers will be populated as the preparatory work progresses during the year.
At this time, Galway city and Galway County Council are undertaking the necessary preparatory work before entering sites on their register. A number of sites have been identified in Galway city as possibly falling under the levy requirements. The council is currently ascertaining the ownership of these sites and whether they meet the criteria to have the levy applied. Furthermore, in the county area, the council is presently engaged in an assessment of all potential vacant sites in the county as part of a review of Statutory Local Area Plans, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation.
