Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We want to tackle vacancy and dereliction. There is also the environmental waste of building new buildings. They contain all that embodied carbon and then for them to sit empty and not be put to use is hugely wasteful from an environmental point of view. Is addressing this something the Government is committed to? Are the Valuations Office and Tailte Éireann, when it is set up, going to be told to prioritise vacancy in these newer developments which has been going on for over a decade, partially because valuations have not taken place? I am sure that the Minister of State will agree that it is unacceptable to have vacancy and dereliction in the country at all, and to have it in newer developments where good buildings, facilities and infrastructure have been put in place is completely unacceptable. Will the Minister of State tell us that it is a priority for the Valuations Office now and that it will be a priority for Tailte Éireann?

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