Vacant and derelict sites registered just a 'tiny fraction' of 'national scandal' — Bacik
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The number of registered vacant and derelict sites represents just a tiny fraction of the reality of the “national scandal”, Labour Party Leader Ivana Bacik has said.
Ms Bacik said Government policy on vacancy and dereliction was not working and despite there being a vacancy officer in each local authority, there was an “absolute absence” of the registration of vacant and derelict properties.
“Across local authorities, we're seeing a real failure to register sufficient numbers of vacant and derelict sites,” she said.
Using Dublin City Council’s register as an example, she said there were 41 vacant sites and 108 derelict sites listed.
She said just five vacant sites and 21 derelict sites were registered in Dublin Bay South.
“And yet, I know and all of my constituents know that there is a far greater extent of vacancy and dereliction in our constituency,” she said.
Ms Bacik said vacancy and dereliction was a “blight” on urban centres across the country.
Speaking at Bass Place in Dublin city centre which she described as a particularly strong example where six properties have lain derelict for several years, Ms Bacik launched a national vacancy and dereliction campaign.
The campaign calls on people to report vacant and derelict sites to local authorities and local representatives in an effort to “activate” the sites.
Although not suggesting vacant and derelict sites are a “silver bullet” to solve the housing crisis, Ms Bacik said there was a lack of urgency and ambition on behalf of the Government, which should be doing far more to bring vacant properties back into use.
“While official figures understate the true scale of the problem, we know that nearly 200,000 homes lie vacant or derelict at any one time here in Ireland.
She said local authorities already own a large number of the properties and should be doing more, however, she said they needed to be empowered by the central Government to do so.
“Properties which are left vacant for a prolonged period should be compulsorily purchased and local authorities should be resourced to do so,” she said.
Ms Bacik described it as “scandalous” that the Government appears to have conceded that 12,837 homeless people is an acceptable figure.
“It’s particularly galling for people given the huge amount of vacant and derelict homes nationwide,” she said.