Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not against the vacant site levy. It is a good idea, if it is applied correctly. Under the provisions of amendment No. 1, however, the local authority will be levying itself. It is placing an administrative burden on one department to levy another department. I understand it is a reserved function, so one could have a situation in which councillors decide that a particular area can be brought into play and a site might be sold rather than developed because the local authority does not have the funding. That is what concerns me about this amendment. I think there is a certain nonsensical aspect to a local authority levying itself.