Limerick councillor backs Tánaiste’s call for tougher action on dereliction

LIMERICK Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler has fully backed Tánaiste Simon Harris’s move on a derelict sites tax, saying it is exactly...

LIMERICK Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler has fully backed Tánaiste Simon Harris’s move on a derelict sites tax, saying it is exactly the kind of action needed to tackle dereliction in the middle of a housing emergency.

Cllr Butler told the Limerick Post that he fully backs the Tánaiste, his party leader, on this and believes that, in the middle of a housing emergency, it isn’t acceptable that so many buildings and so many potential homes are sitting derelict while young people wonder whether they’ll ever be able to buy.

The City West representative pointed out that the social contract is stretched for that generation, and tolerating widespread dereliction makes no sense when we need every possible home.

“What the Tánaiste set out is the right move. The whole point of a derelict sites tax isn’t to raise money, it’s to change behaviour. If you’re sitting on a derelict property, you have a choice,” the Fine Gael councillor said.

“Talk to the Council, because there are grants and supports there to help bring a building back into use. Or ignore it, and you’ll be taxed. And by having Revenue collect it directly, the message is clear that we’re no longer just asking at local level.

“This is also about consistency. Some local authorities do an excellent job on dereliction under the exact same rules, and others collect nothing at all. The Tánaiste is right to call it out.”

Tackling dereliction, Butler insists, isn’t only a housing issue either.

“It’s about regeneration, and it’s about safety and security in our towns and villages. Here in Limerick we know the difference a building brought back to life makes to a street and a community.

“Housing has to be approached from every front at once, the derelict sites tax, action on short-term lets, and serious investment in the infrastructure that unlocks new homes.

“I’ll be backing the Tánaiste every step of the way,” Cllr Butler concluded.