COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 09, 2026

QUESTION NO. 31

QUESTION: Councillor J. Sinnott

To ask the Chief Executive what the value is of outstanding derelict levies owed to South Dublin County Council and to outline the mechanisms used by the Council to ensure levies are paid?

REPLY:

A Derelict Site is defined in the Act as any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land in question because of –

(a) The existence of structures which are in a ruinous, derelict or dangerous condition

(b) The neglected, unsightly or objectionable condition of the land or any structures on the land

(c) The presence of litter, rubbish, debris or waste on the land.

The Act places a duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become or continue to be a derelict site.

The Council is required by the Act to:

(a) Maintain a Derelict Sites Register.

(b) Make the Register available for public inspection.

(c) Take all reasonable steps to ensure that any land situated in this administrative area does not become or continue to be a derelict site

The actions available to the local authority/mechanisms used are as follows:

Under Section 3 of Derelict Site Act 1990, SDCC monitors sites in the county that may meet the criteria of a ‘derelict site’.

• 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. Section 11 directs 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.
• A Section 8(2) Notice is served on the owner and occupier (where they can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry) when insufficient action has been taken. Section 8(2) advises of intention to enter the particulars of a site into the Derelict Sites Register, maintained under Section 8(1) of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990.
• 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.
• Section 22 informs owners and occupiers of sites on the Derelict Sites register of a determination of market value and Section 23 is utilised for the application of levies.
• Section 15 Notice of Intention to Acquire is issued when a local authority intends to acquire a derelict site compulsorily, to remove a property/site from a state of dereliction.

Levies of €280,000 were applied to sites on the Derelict Sites Register in 2025 with almost half of this amount collected to date.  As per Section 24 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, where derelict site levies remains unpaid, SDCC will place a charge on the relevant urban land, which will remain in place until payment of levies and interest due has been received. The Derelict Sites section has sought legal guidance and is currently liaising with the Law Department regarding the pursuit of uncollected levies. In addition to pursuing outstanding levies, SDCC will soon begin the process of applying levies to properties on the Derelict Sites Register for 2026.