Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a very serious issue. I attended a forum on rural development with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, last week and this was one of the biggest issues that arose. It concerns the blight of derelict sites on rural towns. Right across the country, we can see that businesses have closed and people have left houses for one reason or another. In many cases, these buildings have been left to go to rack and ruin. There is legislation in place, as the Derelict Sites Act has been there for a long number of years. The theory is that owners are contacted if property is not in good stead and may be required to pay a 3% levy of the value of the property on an annual basis. As I understand it, that money is supposed to go towards putting the property into a safe and aesthetically favourable state.

This is one of the biggest bugbears for community groups involved with the Tidy Towns competition and which show pride in their own areas. These derelict sites continue to be relevant as places will lose points in the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition on an annual basis. These problems are highlighted almost on an annual basis in some towns but nothing seems to be done. In my own town, I am sad to say, there are a number of such sites, and some locations are very badly affecting the town aesthetic. The local community development group in Carrick-on-Suir has taken it upon itself to put a face on some sites by painting them to take the bad look away. The Minister of State is probably familiar with this as he is only down the road. The work has been fantastic.

There is legislation but it does not appear to be used by local authorities. When we ask about these sites, we get a story about the issue being with the legal department but, frankly, that is not good enough. We need to start representing rural towns for business and tourists, particularly in areas where we are not strong from a tourism perspective. We must make it attractive for people to come here. In areas with strong tourism, such as Killarney, there are very few derelict sites. Those local authorities seem to know the value of tourism and are active in ensuring that these problems are dealt with.

It was brought to my attention that one of the biggest offenders in this respect are local authorities, which may own many properties because they have bought them over years. They are allowed to do this under the legislation. Who polices the local authority? The private citizen would pay the 3% levy to the local authority, which is meant to use it wisely to deal with this issue. If the local authority owns the property, who is looking after the authority? Will the Minister of State consider this as the urban generation legislation, taking in vacant sites, goes through the Houses of the Oireachtas? It has started in the Dáil already and the Minister of State might accept an amendment in this House on the matter. It is a very serious issue and there is no ombudsman to which the local authority must answer. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.