Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 495: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will amend the Derelict Sites Act 1980 to ensure that commercial and residential properties are not allowed to fall into dereliction and that the amended Act be strengthened in order that such properties can be procured by compulsory purchase by local authorities; and if he will ensure that all derelict site fees are fully pursued and collected by local authorities under existing legislation. [27108/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Derelict Sites Act 1990 imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become or continue to be a derelict site. It also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps (including the exercise of any appropriate statutory powers) to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end, local authorities are empowered to direct the owner of land to take specified measures to prevent it becoming or continuing to be a derelict site, to acquire by agreement or compulsorily any derelict site within their functional area, or to take appropriate steps with a view to the imposition of a levy on derelict sites. It is a matter for local authorities to pursue payment of a derelict sites levy, which may be recovered as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction and which is a charge on the land concerned until it is paid.