Ireland's Derelict Sites Act 1989: €26 Million Uncollected Levies, Revenue Commissioners to Take Over
Ireland's 1989 Derelict Sites Act has largely failed to curb dereliction, with €26 million in levies uncollected by councils. The Revenue Commissioners will now take over collection, aiming to standardize enforcement. Despite some councils improving with added resources, significant gaps remain, particularly in rural areas and smaller towns, highlighting ongoing challenges in property registration and levy collection.
Ireland's Derelict Sites Act, published in 1989, aimed to address a growing problem of dereliction. Then-Minister of the Environment Padraig Flynn noted 160 acres and 600 derelict sites within Dublin's canal ring. Despite the Act's intentions, the issue persists, with former Irish Times editor Frank McDonald stating the legislation was never effective.
Urban renewal schemes in the 1990s and 2000s reduced dereliction, but the problem resurged after the 2008 Celtic Tiger collapse, leading to widespread «ghost estates». The Act's limitations include its urban-only scope, excluding rural properties, and inconsistent implementation by 31 councils. Many councils failed to impose or collect levies, which now stand at 7% of a property's market value. In 2024, 11 councils collected no levies, and a cumulative €26 million remains uncollected. Local authorities also own significant derelict property, having paid €11 million in levies to themselves.
Minister for Finance Simon Harris confirmed the Revenue Commissioners will now collect these levies, citing councils' «badly failed» performance. While the Association of Irish Local Government highlighted difficulties in tracing ownership and enforcing collections, there is unanimous support for Revenue's new role. UCC lecturer and Kildare councillor William Buckley noted that Revenue's involvement will standardize collection but local authorities remain responsible for updating the derelict sites register.
Disparities in enforcement are evident: Limerick City and County Council recorded 403 derelictions and €500,000 in levies in 2024, compared to only 14 registered cumulatively for Galway city and county councils. However, increased resources led to significant improvements in Galway, Monaghan, Tipperary, and Cavan. Despite progress, gaps remain, with Mayo councillor Michael Kilcoyne estimating that the register covers less than half of Mayo's dereliction, excluding small towns and rural areas. Green Party councillor Janet Horner noted under-resourcing in Dublin, leading to reliance on public reporting. Frank O’Connor and Jude Sherry, founders of Derelict Ireland, highlighted the contrast with Amsterdam's approach and found 700 derelict properties in a 2km radius of Cork's English Market, while only 95 were officially registered.