Dáil debates
Thursday, 20 June 2024
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Vacant Properties
10:50 am
Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source
I acknowledge that these schemes are positive and bring about improvements if towns and villages are lucky to avail of the funding through the application which is made by the local authority. They are very positive and that is why I am asking for increased funding to be given to our local authority, Offaly County Council. I acknowledge the work of the council's regeneration team, including the regeneration officers who, as the Minister said, have been funded. It is a brilliant idea. It is practical and I hope it will make a difference in counties like mine.
The council's regeneration team in County Offaly has been proactive in issuing notices to property owners. I understand that if the regeneration team does not receive a reply, the property is placed on the derelict sites register, which means the owner will incur an annual tax and eventually the council might issue a compulsory purchase order. However, the focus should also be in the area of preventing dereliction and vacancy ever arising. For that, we need to ensure we have a fully co-ordinated approach. Just yesterday, my colleagues and I raised the issue of the 13.5% VAT rate that is crippling many small businesses, including restaurants and cafés. We could certainly avoid many properties becoming vacant if we did more to prevent them going out of business. That is why we need a co-ordinated approach across Departments, increased funding and for schemes to be less bureaucratic.
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