Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I am aware of several properties that were left idle for years, on which somebody from the local authority had placed derelict site notices. When I first became a member of a local authority, which was not today or yesterday, there was such a sign on a building in my local area for several years. Innocent that I was, I inquired for how long more the plaque would remain on the wall. I was told it had been in place for some years. I replied that the building was falling down, that there was a risk that part of it could fall out onto the road or that somebody could be injured or killed and that there would be a major claim against the local authority which had powers under the Derelict Sites Act. Lo and behold, the property was acquired. There was no difficulty in doing so once there was the will to do it. I do not know why there has been such a reluctance to enforce the provisions of the Act.

Property has become very expensive in this and other cities, as well as towns. It is hugely expensive, especially if there is development potential. The Derelict Sites Act could and should be used more effectively and efficiently and at a much earlier stage to acquire properties fairly that fall within its remit. I can think of a few around this city that might well fall within its terms. A previous speaker, whose ideological bent I would not necessarily support, referred to a property with zoned land that had remained derelict for 20 years and said something should be done about it. It is always beneficial for planning permissions to have a lifespan. They are supposed to be granted for a specified term. Zoning is also supposed to have a lifespan, with which I also agree.

The difficulty with which we are faced is that the economy is based on property prices — wrongly and very dangerously. We have low interest rates. Obviously, people want to hold on to whatever property they have, be it buildings or plots of land. This even applies to tunnels, the only exception being the one that leaks water. People wish to hold on to property because it is a safer bet than financial institutions or other speculative ventures. While this happens, there is a dearth of property available for development purposes. I could go on for hours on this subject but the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be glad to hear I will not do so. There is merit in what my colleague proposed——

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