Over €10m outstanding to Dublin City Council in unpaid derelict site levies
More than €10 million is owed to Dublin City Council in outstanding derelict site levies.
Following a query from Sinn Fein Councillor Michael MacDonncha, the Chief Executive has revealed that €8,859,264 of the unpaid fees date back to more than two years. With vacancy and derelict being a major component of the ongoing housing crisis, this massive shortfall represents money that could be used toward essential services that are being left uncollected for years on end.
Derelict sites levies were introduced in 1990 to deter dereliction, as the threat of fines was intended to force property owners to either fix up rundown locations or put them on the market. However, rather than being swiftly collected, the outstanding balance has grown from €6.8 million in 2023 to €10,085,690 today.
With a rent hike due to impact council tenants from April 6, Cllr MacDonncha has called out the hypocrisy of property developers being able to continue operating while in arrears, while social housing tenants are unable to avail of housing maintenance when in the same situation. He described the current outstanding figures as “very alarming” and said the executive should "re-prioritise" how dereliction is addressed in the city.
He believes the council must “put more effort” into fighting dereliction , as it has implications on the housing crisis and the ability to plan for the future of Dublin city. While there are inspections and follow-ups on derelict properties, Cllr MacDonncha said he believes the council does not have enough staff to “pursue this in a more determined way.”
Cllr Mac Donncha pointed out the former Conway's Pub on Parnell Street as a particularly prominent example. This historic pub has laid vacant for 18 years and was designated "endangered" by the council last year.
Rather than lease to building out to someone who would be interested in operating it, Cllr Mac Donncha slammed its slow crawl into dereliction as an example of properties owners letting places fall into "wreck and ruin" without proper consequences.
Currently there are 138 properties on the council’s Derelict Sites Register, which tracks the number of sites across the city that have fallen into dilapidation. That’s up from 74 at the end of January 2021, which signals an over 85% increase in recognised sites.
While the number of sites on the register has been growing, many have pointed out that the figures fail to represent the reality as seen by people on the ground. At a North Central Area meeting last December, Cllr Kevin Breen stressed that there are far more derelict sites in his area than are on record .
He said that failing to recognise this represents a “serious lack of political will” regarding the housing crisis. Describing housing as “the number one concern for the people of our city,” Cllr Breen expressed disappointment that the council “are not willing” to go after “low-hanging fruit” like dereliction.
“We see millions being spent on projects, but in terms of vacancy and dereliction we need to get better at identifying buildings. We need to get to the source and get these properties back into the housing stock so the people of this city can live in their forever homes,” he said.
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