DATA from the Department of Housing and Local Government shows that almost €1 million remains uncollected for vacant sites levies in Limerick.
This follows a parliamentary question from Limerick Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan who was told that a total of €998,900 is due to be collected in unpaid levies by Limerick City and County Council.
Minister of State for Local Government Peter Burke told Deputy Quinlivan that €516,950 was owed to the council from 2020 and a further €481,950 from last year.
Minister Burke said that under the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of three per cent of the market valuation of relevant properties which were listed on local authority vacant site registers in 2018.
The relevant property owners were liable to pay the levy in January 2019.
The rate of the levy increased to seven per cent for sites listed on local authority vacant sites registers from 2019 onwards and site owners became liable to pay the increased levy in January 2020.
Department of Housing assistant secretary Maria Graham said there was ”clearly a large level of vacancy and dereliction in towns and that the Government’s ‘Housing for All’ plan aims to address the issue of vacant houses and turning them into suitable homes that will bring them back into the housing stock.
According to latest figures, there are currently 4,000 vacant houses in County Limerick, with 1,209 classified as derelict.
