COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 11, 2019

QUESTION NO. 7

QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon

The 2016 Census identified 3,495 vacant units in the South Dublin County Council area. Many may now be occupied such as in the Tallaght Town Centre. Can the Chief Executive report on where we currently stand regarding vacant units, how they are classified and what potential exists to bring them into public usage?

REPLY:

South Dublin County had an extremely low vacancy rate (at 3.6%) according to the Central Statistics Office in 2016.

Under the National Vacant Housing Re-use Strategy, each local authority was required to identify the scale of vacant homes and develop plans to address vacancy within their administrative area, by categorising vacant homes by location, ownership and reason for vacancy and subsequently to identify those properties that have the potential to be refurbished and made available for use. 

Many of the properties considered vacant at census time were clarified as not being suitable for potential return to use due to being subject of legal proceedings or other dispute, probate, occupiers in long-term care etc.  Notwithstanding those such properties, there are currently 64 vacant units identified within the County.

There are several proactive initiatives used to encourage and enable privately owned vacant homes to be brought back into use whether to the social housing or private rented market, these include:

The primary objective is to encourage property owners to engage with the Council and find solutions for the vacant homes without having to resort to an acquisition process. However the Council has a range of legislative powers available to deal with under-utilised and derelict properties including Compulsory Purchase and Derelict Sites legislation where necessary.  To date, six homes have been acquired by the Council under the Derelict Sites legislation and brought back into social housing stock.

Vacant properties can be reported via http://vacanthome.ie