Written answers

Tuesday, 14 November 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Property Registration Authority Data

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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513. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the measures his Department is taking to collect data on the price of non-agricultural land; when he expects this information to be available for 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47952/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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While my Department does not hold the data referred to in the question, the Property Registration Authority of Ireland records the names and addresses of every registered land owner.  The index is kept in respect of each county and can be accessed at www.landdirect.ie.

Furthermore, information regarding the consideration paid and the details of the transfer of lands is maintained by the Revenue Commissioners, from stamp duty returns filed relating to the transfer of land, via their e-Stamping System.

I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the filer must indicate if the land falls within any of the following categories:

- Site only

- Agricultural land

- Non-Agricultural land

- New Commercial / Industrial Premises

- Second-hand Commercial / Industrial Premises.

In the context of the current housing supply shortage, the Government recognises the pressing need to ensure that land, in urban areas in particular, that is suitable for the development of housing is not held back by developers.  A range of measures are being implemented under the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan to ensure that such land is brought forward for development at the earliest opportunity.

The vacant site levy, provided for in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, is designed to incentivise the development of vacant and under-utilised sites in urban areas for housing and regeneration purposes.  A 3% levy becomes liable for payment on such lands from January 2018.  As announced in Budget 2018, the 3% levy rate which applies in the first year of the vacant site appearing on the register will be increased to 7% in year 2 and subsequent years, resulting in an effective vacant site levy of 10% over the first two years.  Any levy outstanding will remain a charge on the land concerned until paid and therefore there will be a cumulative effect associated with not activating a site for development.

Furthermore, in order to address the issue of the hoarding of residentially zoned land, a number of amendments have been tabled to the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016, which is currently at Dáil Report Stage.  The amendments proposed are collectively aimed at tightening up existing provisions to ensure that extensions of duration of planning permissions cannot be granted where substantial development work has not been carried out during the initial life of the permission, with a particular focus on housing developments.

In addition, the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform has recently signalled his intention to introduce a stamp duty refund scheme for certain qualifying development land, details of which will be introduced by way of a Report Stage amendment to the Finance Bill. 

Rebuilding Ireland attaches a particular priority to using publicly owned lands for the delivery of housing as quickly as possible, supported by the acceleration in Exchequer-funded social housing and the delivery of more homes for sale and rent at lower and more affordable price points. All local authority housing sites and an initial set of broader State-owned sites have now been mapped and can be accessed at: .

Local authorities and the Housing Agency are now preparing strategic development plans for the prioritised development of these sites.

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