Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 January 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Francis Noel DuffyFrancis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank all our witnesses for their briefings as well as their insight. I very much understand the issues currently prohibiting the restoration of our vacant properties, especially in our towns where one third of our population lives. The combined cost of fire, access, protected structure status, insurance and professional fees leave restoration unviable for many of these properties. On this, my first point and question relate to the limited planning exemptions that expired in December of last year. According to the figures presented by Mr. Reynolds, the number of planning exemption notifications in 2020 was almost half the number of Part Vs nationally. It also showed an upward trend in figures, which suggests planning exemptions work and that the fewer barriers placed in the planning application process, the more people will be incentivised to repurpose their vacant units. It is great that there are plans to extend the planning exemptions to 2025 as part of the town centre first initiative.

My first question to the Department is whether consideration been given to simplifying the planning procurement further with one-stop shops to reduce the costs associated with change of use applications. As Mr. Reid and Ms Murray O'Connor said in their statements, it is currently less expensive to leave them vacant as the returns, if any, are not worth the hassle.

My second question relates to the vacant property tax currently being developed. I would be grateful if the Department could update us on the progress of that tax. Has the Department begun collating a sufficient volume of data on vacancy following the recent LPT returns?

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