Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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539. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount collected in counties Roscommon and Galway under the vacant sites levy since it was introduced; and the number of buildings that have been identified to pay this levy in both counties, with the corresponding town listed, in tabular form. [43945/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Local authorities are required to submit an annual return to my Department providing information on the implementation of the vacant site levy under the provisions of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 in their functional areas. The most recent information provided by Galway and Roscommon County Councils in this regard is provided in the tables at the link below.

Under the provisions of the Act, local authorities are required to maintain a vacant site register in respect of properties deemed to be vacant sites in their respective functional areas. Under the Act, the register shall be kept at the offices of the planning authority and be available for inspection at the offices of the planning authority during office hours and on the planning authority’s website. My Department does not collect data on the location of vacant sites or the value of vacant sites' levies each has brought in.

Galway County Council has advised that work had been undertaken and will continue through various mechanisms to identify potential sites that may fall under the criteria as suitable for consideration for inclusion on to a Vacant Site Register.

Within the last two and a half years, a number of towns have been assessed in terms of potential sites. A number of sites within villages and towns have also been identified through the Local Area Plan/Development Plan process as a mechanism to focus on bringing sites forward for appropriate development within village and town settings. However, the Council is cognisant of the underlying principal behind the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act to encourage efficient development of vacant residentially zoned land and not simply to apply a levy to the landowners. Assessment of other settlements have also been carried out as part of the formal development plan review process.

Further information is available at the link:

">Vacant Site Levy