Cork County Council collected no vacant or derelict-site levies in first 10 months of 2023

CORK County Council collected no vacant or derelict-site levies in the first 10 months of 2023.

Information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act confirmed that the local authority did not take in payments for derelict or vacant sites in Cork county between January and October this year.

However, a spokesperson revealed that the local authority issued €339,500 in levies in 2022 under the vacant-sites levy.

“Of those levies, €126,000 has been collected, a decision from An Bord Pleanála is awaited relating to €157,500, and €56,000 remains as a charge on the subject land, until payment is made,” the spokesperson added.

“Cork County Council is currently at an advanced stage of discussion with landowners regarding payment of almost 40% of the total levied.

“The council has issued a reminder for payment regarding the remaining, outstanding monies.”

The spokesperson added that the vacant-site levy is applied to residential and regeneration zoned lands, as identified in development plans, that are serviced.

“The residential zoned land tax (RZLT) was introduced under Budget 2021 and is proposed to replace the vacant-site levy. Generally, the scope of the RZLT is broader and includes zoned lands in development plans that are identified for residential development or a mixture of uses, including residential, that are serviced or have access to servicing.”

The Echo revealed in recent weeks that, in contrast to its county counterpart, Cork City Council collected €102,000 in derelict-site levies and €370,000 in vacant-site levies between January and the end of October.

Cork-based activists Dr Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry, founders of Anois, have been highlighting dereliction and vacancy for years.

Speaking to The Echo about Cork County Council’s failure to collect levies in 2023, Dr O’Connor said: 

“We need our local authorities to show true leadership and collect the levies and reinvest them in providing affordable housing, through bringing vacant and derelict homes back into use. This continuing failure reinforces the need for Inland Revenue to step in immediately to collect the levies.

“For maximum effectiveness, the local authorities must first place all the vacant sites and derelict properties on the register.”