Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I propose we write to the petitioner and inform them that we are closing this because of that. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Next is P00036/24, "Action needed for derelict buildings in Youghal, County Cork", from Ms Irene Karrouze. It states:

Many of you will know my parents have lived at 31 Friar Street for the past 52 years, they take pride in their house and maintain it to a good standard. They have worked hard, pay their taxes including their property tax. They are adjoined to 30 Friar Street, once a historical building now vacant and left to ruin. Living next to a derelict building has a very negative impact if you are attached. 30 Friar Street has no roof therefore the weather is causing the interior of the building to collapse causing damp and infestation of rodents especially in the winter months. Going to bed every night not knowing if the wall your bed is against may collapse is very stressful for my parents. This is compounded by the concerns over the potential danger to pedestrians if the beam collapses and falls through one of the front windows onto Friar Street. My father has asked the town hall councillors for help over this matter for over three years. As there has been no action to remedy any of the safety concerns he has asked me to help. Since January 2023 we have contacted the Councillors at Youghal town hall, the Garda station, requested freedom of information (FOI), Ombudsman, Director of service, East Cork Municipal District officer, CEO Cork County Council. Ireland has a Derelict site act and a Local government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 that can be served on behalf of the Town council to ensure the safety of buildings to prevent public liability. A notice was served to the owner of 30 Friar Street in September 2022 with 8 weeks to respond. The owners of the property did not respond to the request. My parents were told that under Tort law it is their responsibility for the upkeep of their property and to go after the owners themselves if the property is causing a nuisance! However, the Director of Service has promised some remedial work but this has not happened. We have 100 vacant properties in Youghal and about 9 could be defined as derelict. Without the support of the Town Hall to use the law to protect this town and its residents these buildings are going to become liabilities for all and health and safety hazards for those in close proximity. As we have failed to progress this matter using all avenues available to us, resulting in no signs of a resolution or progress in any form, could we please ask for your help and support? 30 Friar Street is at risk of further deterioration and potential collapse in the coming months. The facade of the building is listed due to its historic interest. There are likely many other buildings across our town with similar fates. If you think that Cork County Council should prioritise the plight of derelict buildings, could you please sign this petition as putting pressure on this issue may support my parents and the health and safety risks, they inevitability face as the building continues to deteriorate.

With regard to action taken to resolve the issues before submitting the petition, they went through all the usual avenues, starting with home insurance, logging it with the Garda station, the local council, director of services, the CEO of Cork County Council and social media, with a story published in a national newspaper.

An update, and as agreed at the meeting of 11 July 2024, is that the secretariat wrote to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to try to get the answers for the petitioner and received the response. It is in the summary note. The secretariat forwarded correspondence from the petitioner to Cork County Council for comment within 14 days as agreed in the meeting of 11 July 2024, and received a response.

The recommendations are that we publish the response from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; that we publish the response from Cork County Council; that the correspondence from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days; that the correspondence from Cork County Council will be forwarded to the petitioner for comment within 14 days; and that a request be made to Cork County Council for a timeline on when the issue will be rectified.

In April, the council informed us of the property being served with a section 11 notice, and on 16 April, advised that the owners had until 30 April to carry out the works prescribed in the notice. On 24 July, the council informed us that it had initiated legal proceedings against the owners and cannot comment any further as a result.

As we are all aware, dereliction is a scourge in all our towns and villages, especially when it poses a risk, particularly to a house next door to it. This should be taken more seriously by all our councils because we see in all the councils that some of the derelict buildings are a disgrace and an eyesore in all our towns and villages.

We have agreed to also request a timeline from Cork County Council on when the issue will be rectified but I would also suggest that we raise the safety concerns with it, and what actions it will take in the meantime to rectify those. Would it be worth asking where responsibility for this lies in cases where the council had been notified? With the difficulties in establishing ownership, who is responsible if the adjoining wall collapses or if one of the beams falls, like has been said? Have any members anything else to add?