COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 09, 2015

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor P. Foley

There are a number of houses throughout the county which have been left vacant - for one reason or another. These houses are often left in disrepair and can have a negative effect on the surrounding community. To ask the Chief Executive what steps are open to the council to address this issue?

REPLY:

All reports of vacant/abandoned houses are investigated by the Enforcement and Licensing Section in accordance with the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act). The investigation involves a number of standard checks including:

Where a property is found to be non-derelict but at risk of becoming derelict, a statutory notice, pursuant to Section 11 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, is served on the registered owner(s) requiring that works specified in the Notice are carried out within a period specified by the Council, which cannot be less than one month in accordance with the Act, from the expiration of fourteen days from the date of service of the Notice. 

Where a property is found to be derelict, a statutory notice, pursuant to Section 8 (2) of the Act, is served on the registered owner(s) advising them of the Council’s intention to enter the particulars of the site on the Derelict Sites Register and allowing a reasonable period of time for the making of representations, in accordance with the Act. The Council, having considered any such representation, will have the site re-inspected and decide whether the site should be entered on the Register. Where a decision is taken to enter the particulars of a site on the Register, a statutory notice pursuant to Section 8 (7) of the Act is served on the owner, advising them of the entry.

The Council also uses the provisions of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 where a risk or potential risk to the public is found to exist in any vacant/abandoned house. Where a public health nuisance is found to exist, an abatement notice is issued in conjunction with our colleagues in the Environmental Health Office.

Difficulties have been experienced in establishing the current owner(s) of some of the vacant properties and in establishing the current whereabouts of the owner(s). In other cases, protracted investigations have eventually led to banks/financial institutions who have initiated proceedings to secure repossession of the property.

Currently, fifty-one (51) vacant/abandoned houses are under investigation. Since 1st January 2014, sixteen (16) Statutory Notices have been served pursuant to Section 11 of the Act which required works to prevent the property from becoming derelict. A further nineteen (19) Notices were issued pursuant to Section 8(2), giving notice of the Council’s intention to enter the particulars of the property on the Derelict Sites Register, with six (6) properties on the Derelict Sites Register @ 31/12/2014.  Files on eighteen (18) properties have been closed, as the dereliction/potential dereliction has been abated, as a result of enforcement action and/or sale of the property.

In exceptional cases, South Dublin County Council has secured abandoned private properties in the interests of good estate management and health and safety grounds.  Continuous efforts in consultation with Housing Department have been made in resolving these cases, such as referral of owners to the Housing Procurement Section to advise on social housing leasing options. 

In one case, South Dublin County Council’s offer to purchase an abandoned property has been accepted.