COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, November 10, 2025
QUESTION NO. 12
QUESTION: Councillor J. Spear
To ask the Chief Executive to explain the process by which a property is added to the derelict sites registry - Can you please include the average time it takes from when a property is identified to when it is added to the registry?
REPLY:
Under Section 3 of Derelict Site Act 1990, South Dublin County Council monitors sites in the county that may meet the criteria of a ‘derelict site’ which are not entered on the register until such time as investigations are completed and a determination made that the site is derelict.
When a report is received, a new file is opened, an inspection is carried out by the Senior Clerk of Works and an inspection report is completed. The inspection report and a map is added to the file. The inspection report is then endorsed by the County Architect, with recommendation on actions to be taken under the relevant legislation.
An ownership check is carried out and once finalised, a Section 11 Notice is served where in the opinion of the local authority it is necessary to do so, to prevent land situated in their functional area from becoming or continuing to be a derelict site.
A notice under this section becomes effective after the expiration of fourteen days from the date of service of the notice, and
- specifies the measures which the local authority consider to be necessary in order to prevent the land from becoming or continuing to be a derelict site,
- direct the person on whom the notice is being served to take such measures as may be specified in the notice, and
- specify a period (being not less than one month from the effective date of the notice) within which such measures are to be taken
Should insufficient action be taken, a Section 8(2) Notice is served on the owner and occupier (where they can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry) before making any entry on the register in relation to any land advising of their intention to make such entry. The Local Authority shall review any written representations submitted by an owner or occupier within fourteen days of the date specified in the notice and may, after considering those representations, decide whether or not to make the entry as they consider appropriate.
A Section 8 (7) is served on the owner and occupier of a site where there is failure by the owner / occupier to respond to a Section 8 (2) Notice and where the owner/occupier has failed to take steps to render the site non derelict, advising that an entry has been made in the register.
After each notice is served, a further re-inspection is required to take place, to determine if any remedial works have been completed. The re-inspection report is then endorsed.
The serving of all Notices under the relevant legislation, is approved by Chief Executive Order. Where difficulty exists in identifying and engaging with the owner of a particular site, notices are affixed to the property by the Senior Clerk of Works.
There are many variables that occur when SDCC investigate reports of a derelict site, therefore it is not possible to provide an average timeline. Sometimes significant delays can occur when attempting to communicate with the registered owners of sites. Registered post is often returned as undelivered, which has an impact on timelines.
Not all reports received are added to the Derelict Sites Register. Following inspection, reported sites may be deemed non-derelict by the Senior Clerk of Works/Senior Architect or require further monitoring. Alternatively, actions are often taken on the property by the registered owners to avoid being entered onto the derelict sites register.