Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There was potential to collect €12.5 million in levies last year but instead, only €378,763 was collected. That figure was released to me in a reply to a parliamentary question. It is disappointing. In fact, it is a scandal and it is happening under this Minister's watch. All across this State, potential homes are being left to rot every day. That is clearly a Government problem. Not one single local authority has collected the full levy, with the majority collecting nothing at all. This is not a case of local authorities dropping the ball. It is a case of systematic underfunding and a failure to support local authorities. The most powerful tool local authorities have for returning derelict houses to the housing stock is the derelict sites levy. Some 30 local authorities did not impose any such levy and 21 local authorities did not collect a cent.

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