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SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 10, 2025

QUESTION NO. 11

QUESTION: Councillor J. Spear

To ask the Chief Executive for an update on how many derelict properties, both residential and commercial, have been compulsorily purchased over the last ten years?

REPLY:

The Council remains committed to tackling dereliction through the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) where appropriate, to bring neglected sites back into productive use and support community regeneration.

A total of 8 derelict properties have been compulsorily acquired in the last ten years, with none of these sites being commercial. Three Section 15 Notice of Intention to acquire have been served this year, with a further one being progressed.

There are currently 79 case files open for continuing investigation under the Derelict Sites Act 1990.  There have been 36 ‘first inspections’ by the Senior Clerk of Works (January 2024 to October 2025) in response to reports of derelict property received by SDCC.  There have been 294 re-inspections by the Senior Clerk of Works (January 2024 to October 2025) as part of ongoing derelict sites investigations.

In collaboration with the Vacant Homes section, three properties listed on the Derelict Sites Register are now sale agreed on the private market, with two additional properties currently due to close by private sale. These sites will be re-inspected to monitor progress before they are removed from the Derelict Sites Register.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has set annual targets under the CPO Activation Programme for the commencement of compulsory purchases or acquisitions. For 2025, SDCC has been assigned a target of initiating three such acquisitions. This target is reflective of the comparatively low vacancy rate within the county.