Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if all local authorities have furnished the details on the total number of derelict properties currently on their registers; the number of actions and fines issued under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 for each respective local authority; the changes he will make based on this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3191/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Local Authorities are required to submit an annual return to my Department providing information on the operation of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 in their functional areas. The derelict sites returns are collected in Q2 of the following year.

A table containing the information requested regarding the operation of the derelict sites levy, as per the most recent returns from local authorities relating to the year 2020, will be circulated with the official record. In total, 1,548 derelict sites were registered on local authority derelict sites registers at the end of 2020.

Addressing vacancy and dereliction, and maximising the use of the existing housing stock, is a priority objective of the Government, as evidenced the recently published Housing for All A New Housing Plan for Irelandwhere one of the four pathways in the plan is specifically dedicated to this area.

My Department continues to liaise with local authorities on the implementation of the Derelict Sites Act with a view to improving its effectiveness. My Department initiated a review of the Derelict Sites Act in November 2021 to identify potential improvements, with local authorities and will be engaging with local authorities on this matter on the course of this year.