Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to tackle commercial vacancy rates, particularly in the north west and County Sligo, which has the highest rate of vacant commercial property here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14437/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Decisions in relation to the renting of commercial premises are a matter, in the first instance, for private sector enterprises and not a matter in which I have a function.

A key intervention in terms of tackling commercial vacancy rates lies in the setting, by local authorities, of incentivised business rates for unoccupied premises. To this end, a number of Local Authorities have introduced locally designed business incentive schemes which promote the use of vacant commercial property. These schemes give an incentive to new business owners to occupy vacant premises by lowering entry costs through a grant related to the level of rates payable on the property.

While the levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority, I understand that the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will shortly be bringing legislative proposals to Government to modernise the legislation relating to commercial rates.  These proposals will include providing powers to local authorities to introduce rates alleviation schemes to promote national and local policy objectives.

Also, the recently published Action Plan for Rural Development provides a commitment for the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to review planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial properties in cities, towns and villages, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground floor premises, into residential units without having to go through the planning process.