Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 June 2018
251. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of landowners issued with notices under the vacant sites levy by local authority; the number of landowners subject to the vacant site levy by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26074/18]
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. Planning authorities have issued notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June this year in respect of vacant sites included on their respective registers on 1 January 2018, indicating that the levy will apply to those sites on 1 January 2019.
My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their functional area. As provided for under the Act, the register in respect of each local authority is available for inspection at its offices and online on its website.
On foot of a recent review of the on-line vacant site registers across all local authority areas, I understand that there are collectively approximately 230 individual sites currently on the local registers. Of these, just under 190 sites were entered on the local vacant site registers on 1 January 2018 and will therefore be subject to the levy in 2019, unless development works are activated in the interim.
My Department will continue to monitor implementation of the levy to ensure that it is being fully used, in line with its intended purpose of incentivising the development of vacant or under-utilised sites in urban areas and so that the full potential of the measure can be realised.
