FINE Gael Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh has welcomed Tánaiste Simon Harris’s call for stronger national action on derelict properties.
Cllr Kavanagh highlighted Donegal as a national leader in bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use.
“Tackling dereliction is essential if we’re to address the housing shortage, and any move to step things up nationally is the right one,” he said.
“Donegal has one of the highest uptake in the country on the vacant and derelict property grants, and that’s no accident.”
He praised the council for running information evenings and working with local credit unions to encourage bridging finance.
“We know some local authorities aren’t doing enough to bring derelict properties back to life,” he said. “The powers and supports already exist, grants, the derelict sites levy, and CPOs, and where they’re put to work properly, like here in Donegal, they deliver. The Tánaiste is right to push the councils that need to do more.”
Cllr Kavanagh said the derelict buildings tax proposed by the Tánaiste, which would returned to local authorities to reinvest, is “the way to go”.
“Every derelict building brought back into use is a home for a family and a boost for our towns and villages,” he said. “Donegal is showing what’s possible, and I’d like to see that standard matched everywhere.”