Tanaiste Clashes With Councillors Over Derelict Sites Levy

A local councillor says the Tanaiste's suggestion that local authorities aren't doing enough to tackle dereliction was laughable.

Simon Harris would like to see a new tax brought in on derelict buildings as the current sites levy isn't working.

The Minister for Finance says local councils have "badly failed" on the issue and this new tax will be collected by Revenue instead.

Labour Councillor for Wexford Town Catherine Biddy Walsh says this is a problem they've inherited from central government:

"Yes, there's dereliction and vacant properties on our main street, anyone who walks the streets of Wexford will see them but it doesn't come down to Wexford County Council.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that the Government would point the finger down at a local authority when everybody knows the responsibility is on the Government and years and years and years of not dealing with this issue."

Councillor Walsh says she and her colleagues have been highlighting dereliction in Wexford Town and beyond for years, pleading with the Government for help but their cries have fallen on deaf ears.

She picked out one example where she says it's far more complicated than just throwing all the blame onto local authorities:

"I have been talking about a derelict publicly owned building in Wexford Town, the old County Hospital.

"What he thinks is that it's Wexford County Council's responsibility, it is on the derelict sites register, but somehow, they should be doing something to take it off the State just to give it back to the State. It's ludicrous".

A recent report from the Sunday Independent found Wexford County Council was the third best in the country for returning vacant properties to the market in a timely manner.

Councillor Walsh says Minister Harris was wrong to call them out and they take the issue very seriously:

"Wexford does do well in the statistics relating to dereliction and I know it's a bug bear for the Chief Executive of Wexford County Council. 

"Particularly when it comes to sorting it out on our main street."

Despite the war of words, Councillor Walsh does accept that having Revenue involved may help to speed up the process.

But she wants to see any money collected stay in the local area:

"I do know that the HSE who own the County Hospital, they don't pay any levy so if they have the manpower to send the people out to Revenue to get money from them, then absolutely. But it must be sent back into the local authority for housing."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.