Written answers
Thursday, 13 February 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Vacant Properties
Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant homes identified by Fingal County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5253/25]
Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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204. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of notices served on vacant homes by Fingal County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5254/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All.
The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. In April 2024, I published an update on the Action Plan which shows the significant progress that is being made and it is available on my Department's website at the following link:
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 Fingal County Council in this regard is provided in the attached table.
Under the provisions of the Act, local authorities are required to maintain a vacant site register in respect of sites 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.
The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) came into effect on 1 February 2025 to replace the Vacant Site Levy. The Vacant Site Levy will remain payable for previous calendar years up to the end of 2024.
My Department has supported local authorities to collate data on vacant and derelict properties in their administrative areas. Fingal County Council now have a database of vacant properties which can be updated on an ongoing basis. The database is not intended to be a comprehensive count of every vacant and derelict property in their administrative area. It is used by the local authority to engage with property owners and work with them to bring those properties back into use.
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