Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

As the Minister of State said, the latest figures he has are for 2023. The new figures will arrive e shortly. As the Minister of State outlined, there are 1,913 derelict sites on the register. What is shocking is that only one in three have been levied. Thirteen local authorities applied no levy. Seventeen did not collect even one cent. In 2023, local authorities that applied the levies sought €5.6 million in payment of those levies. How much was collected? A total of €600,000. A total of €20.5 million is currently owed for the derelict sites levy. I talk to local authorities. Some do not want to engage with the system. The Minister of State was on the housing committee with me. I asked him what he was going to do. Here we are, years later, and land hoarders are laughing at us and at the people in the communities where they are these sites are lying idle.

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