Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The derelict sites levy came into being in 1990. It is 32 years old. Some local authorities have not added a single site to the derelict sites register. Is LGAS tracking local authorities that are putting in an attempt to address this? Local authorities and chief executives are refusing to do what they have been mandated to do and no one is able to bring them to account. This is a scandal. We are in the middle of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State. We have local authorities. I know from my fellow Sinn Féin representatives in Cork City Council that the council had to look at the services it could provide for 2022 because of the financial position with regard to its budget for this year. It had to cut some services although not as many as it expected. How can any local authority be allowed to cut services and at the same time leave €3 million, and perhaps double that amount, uncollected?