Cork derelict sites arrears soar, with majority of requests remaining unpaid

Derelict and vacant site levy arrears in Cork increased by almost €1.8m to €8,304,433 in the 12 months to the end of last year, and despite numerous efforts by both councils, the majority of levies requested remain unpaid.

Cork City Council levied €2,065,637 in derelict site levies in 2024, collecting €477,604 (23%).

A spokesperson for the council said that their efforts “represented the highest derelict site levy collection rate of any local authority in 2024 by number of sites on the register”.

The council also levied €166,250 in vacant site levies, collecting €39,900 (24%). €1,588,033 in derelict site levies and €126,350 in vacant site levies were not collected, so the council received €1,714,383 less than it should have. The spokesperson added: “Cork City Council collected over €3m in derelict and vacant site levies since 2020.”

They said there are 166 sites on the Derelict Site Register as of the end of May 2025, with a further 220 under investigation. “The team is progressing 446 properties which applied for the vacant property refurbishment grant, of which 33% are deemed derelict and 64% vacant, with a combined funding value of €24m.”

Combined

At the end of 2023, the total combined debt owed to Cork County Council from vacant and derelict site levies came to €1.2m, and arrears for the two councils combined was nearly €6.5m, with the €1.8m not paid last year bringing the total arrears to €8.3m.

In 2023, Cork County Council commenced a review of its Derelict Sites Register after it was revealed that they had asked for no derelict sites levies and thus not had any paid that year.

As a result of the review, 57 additional properties were added to the register last year, and levy demands totalling €89,600 were issued to the owners of 10 properties.

Just 5% or €4,550 was paid, representing just one property.

A council spokesperson said it “is currently taking legal advice on the options for collection of outstanding balances”.

They added to date, 2,824 properties have been surveyed by the Town Regeneration Office for the purpose of vacancy validation, owner identification and engagement and progressing under the Derelict Sites Act.

“It should be noted that the vacant property refurbishment grant uptake in Co Cork is the second highest in the country.

“From the commencement of the scheme in late 2022 to the end of 2024, a total of 1,026 applications for assistance under the scheme were received by Cork County Council,” they added.

“Where collaborative efforts fail to produce positive results, or where owners remain unidentifiable despite the council’s best efforts, the Town Regeneration Office utilises its powers under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 to achieve activation.”

Compulsory acquisition 

The act makes provision for the compulsory acquisition of a derelict site by the local authority when other avenues to activate a property have been exhausted, but the council spokesperson said: “Even when a property is on the Derelict Sites Register and has a market valuation assigned, it may not always be possible to apply and collect a levy.”

Dereliction campaigners have called again for levy collection to be tasked to revenue, but criticised that a recent Seanad bill which seeks to do this has just had a 12-month review stage mandated by the Government.

Cork dereliction and vacancy campaigners Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry told The Echo that, while it is positive there is progress in registering some of the many derelict properties, “the collection rates continue to be very disappointing”.

“If ever there was a case for Revenue to collect these levies, this is it. Sadly, the Government parties recently voted to delay a Seanad bill which aims to do just that.”

The bill in question was tabled by Green Party senator Malcom Noonan, while the party’s housing spokesperson, Cork city councillor Oliver Moran, said: “The housing crisis is not just about building new homes.

“It’s about making the most of what we already have. Our town centres are full of empty buildings that could be transformed into much-needed homes.”