Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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1212. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of sites that were removed from the vacant site registers in 2019; the number of sites that were inspected to ensure compliance with the vacant site levy rules and regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8971/20]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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While my Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites, as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their own functional area, the Department does engage proactively  with local authorities with a view to ensuring that the vacant site levy achieves its full potential in terms of bringing concerned sites into productive use. In this regard, the Department issued Circular PL 09/2019 on 13 November 2019 requesting a progress report on implementation of the Vacant Site Levy to be completed by the Director of Planning in each Local Authority.

Progress report returns were received from all of the 31 local authorities which indicated that, as of 31 October 2019, there were 359 sites listed on local authority registers. Since the introduction of the levy, over 200 sites have been removed from registers due to, for instance, development commencing on sites, sites being sold and purchased with the intention of development or appeals, with additional sites being added over the same period.

In this connection, the progress reports indicated the following:

- 50 sites have been removed from registers due to development commencing.

- 47 other sites have changed ownership (the new owner will likely have bought the site with the intention of development).

- 71 planning applications have been submitted in respect of sites included on vacant site registers which has resulted in 47 planning permissions to date. When these permissions are activated, these sites can be removed from the registers.

My Department does not have information on the total number of sites inspected by local authorities for the purpose of implementing the vacant site levy provisions.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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1213. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the criteria used to measure housing need in areas with respect to non-operation of a vacant site register by some local authorities due to lack of housing need as per PBO Publication 29 of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8972/20]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market valuation of relevant properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers in 2018, which relevant owners were liable to pay in January 2019. The rate of the levy increased to 7% for sites listed on local authority vacant sites register from 2019 onwards which site owners became liable to pay in January 2020.

Local Authorities can only apply the levy if the criteria set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the Act) are satisfied i.e.

- the site is situated in an area where there is a need for housing,

- the site is suitable for the provision of housing, and

- the site, or a majority of the site, is vacant or idle.

The specific criteria in relation to determining whether or not there is a need for housing in an area within a planning authority's functional area are set out in section 6(4) of the Act. Such determination is required to be assessed by reference to -

- the housing strategy and the core strategy of the planning authority,

- house prices and the cost of renting in the area,

- the number of households qualified for social housing support in accordance with section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 that have specified the area as an area of choice for the receipt of such support and any changes to that number since the adoption of the planning authority's development plan, and

- whether the number of habitable houses available for purchase of rent was less than 5% of the total number of houses in the area. 

The primary purpose of the levy is to incentivise the activation of development of vacant sites in urban areas for housing and regeneration purposes, thereby bringing the sites into productive use. In certain local authority areas, particularly in more rural/ low population counties, housing need may not be as acute as in larger urban areas. Consequently, where the levy criteria are not satisfied in certain areas, there is justification for non-application of the levy in those areas. Currently 8 local authorities have not included sites on their registers.