Cork County Council collected just €3,300 in derelict sites levies last year

JUST €3,300 has been disclosed as being collected in derelict site levies by Cork County Council in 2022, according to figures released by the local authority in response to a query from The Echo.

The figures come as the Census 2022 figures published by the Central Statistics Office revealed there were 11,994 vacant properties in Co Cork on Census night last year.

However, to qualify as a derelict property, a building or site must fulfil a number of criteria.

Under the Derelict Sites Act of 1990, local authorities are required to collect a charge of 7% of the value of a derelict property each year it remains derelict. Each local authority must put the details of each derelict property on a register which is available to view by the general public.

The entirety of the €3,300 figure was collected in the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District. A total of €33,150 had been levied in Kanturk/Mallow during 2022.

No derelict site fees were levied in Macroom, Cobh, Carrigaline, or Bandon/Kinsale. There were no figures provided for East Cork, Fermoy, or West Cork. In the case of West Cork, a spokesperson said those figures were under review and were not provided for that reason.

Last year, Cork County Council disclosed that it had only collected €900 in derelict site levies between 2017-2021.

In that period, according to figures released by the local authority, while €900 had been collected, a total of €308,000 remained ‘collectable’ for the period. This included €32,200 levied during 2021 but had not collected by the end of the year.

Anti-dereliction campaigners Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry, who have been highlighting the increasing number of derelict properties on social media, said the collection of the levy should be handed over to Revenue and that a significant amount of the funds collected should be returned to the local authorities to be reinvested in ending dereliction and providing much-needed homes.

In a statement to The Echo, they said: “We are in our worst housing emergency, yet we are surrounded by vacant and derelict homes in Cork and across the country. Since its inception in 1990, the local authorities have been given responsibility to enforce the Derelict Sites Act.

'THEY HAVE FAILED'

“From the outset, they have failed.

“While arguments can be made around adequate resourcing, or difficulties in liaising with owners, the law is in place and there is absolutely no excuse for poor enforcement, particularly in such an emergency situation.”

The campaigners suggested that if local authorities showed leadership by bringing their own vacant and derelict stock back into use, it would be “transformative” for Ireland.

“The local authorities should urgently shift their mindset around dereliction to acknowledge it is as antisocial as it is wasteful,” they said.

“You only need to visit towns like Charleville to see the opportunities ending dereliction offers.”

Cork County Council has been contacted for comment.