Tag Archives: dereliction

HEARTBREAK is being suffered by those struggling to find a home, when so many properties are left vacant and derelict, a meeting of Clare County Council has heard.  The comments came from Councillor Shane Talty in response to a motion tabled by Councillor Joe Killeen. The Ennistymon postmaster agreed with calls for stronger Council powers to use Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs). “If your family are housed, you might not even see the derelict properties,” he said, “But, for families and young people, and older people for coming off an income cliff in their transition to retirement age, if you’re passing out these derelict properties every day, families are literally heartbroken and say, ‘Why can’t I get an opportunity to make a home and make a life for a family there’?” Tabling the motion, Councillor Killeen said, “Every opportunity must be made to try and alleviate the situation by making more homes available. We must register our frustration at the number …

DERELICTION in the centre of Kilrush is to be tackled, following representations by Councillor Ian Lynch.  The Independent Council member raised the issue at the West Clare Municipal District meeting earlier this month when he highlighted the state of Moore Street in the heart of the town. He asked that the area be considered for inclusion on a suitable scheme to address dereliction and also that overhead electricity lines be put underground, if possible.  In a written response, Mairead Corbett, Administrative Officer in the Housing section stated: “The Vacant Homes Office is currently undertaking a study of Moore Street, Kilrush with a view to identifying vacant properties with potential for redevelopment.  Assessment is ongoing on a number of properties to determine their potential and decide on future action”. A second response was supplied in relation to the electricity cables. Alan Kennelly, Senior Executive Engineer (SEE) under took to contact the ESB in relation to their requirements relating to the possible …

DERELICTION in Clare towns needs a tougher approach, including the use of compulsory sales orders, according to Deputy Michael McNamara.  The Independent TD told the Dáil that such orders were successful in other countries. “It is done in Scotland and if it is good enough for that country, it might be worth considering in Scariff,” he said. Deputy McNamara was speaking during a special session the the Town Centre First Policy, unveiled last month by the Department of Housing. The document outlines a number of actions to tackle dereliction including the appointment of Town Regeneration Officers, investment, training for town teams, as well as local plans and national oversight.  Deputy McNamara said that he welcomed the plan, but had concerns about omissions, as well as the “political will” of some local authorities to tackle dereliction.  “To discuss what is in the plan, one of the main actions is that a town regeneration officer will be appointed to each local authority,” …

THE Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District has called for more financial incentives to prevent vacant properties from become derelict and dangerous. Councillor Pat Hayes’s comments following the closure of a section of the footpath on Main Street in Tulla after a dangerous structure notice was issued on an empty building. “The situation typifies a problem I have been raising for a considerable period of time,” he said. “The new rural development strategy encourages the redevelopment of buildings in towns and villages and it is not in anyone’s interest to have a situation like we have in Tulla at the moment. Traffic problems are being created, as well a negative image of the place. I would encourage the owner of the property to engage with the council and for all of the owners of vacant buildings to do the same.” The Fianna Fáil member said that existing schemes to support owners to redevelop vacant properties are not working. “Under the …

The Green Party has published legislation, which will be debated and voted on in the Seanad on Wednesday, aimed at tackling vacancy and dereliction in city and town centres. This is an issue that has been discussed on numeroous occasions in County Clare where such problesm exists in a number of towns, large and small. The Derelict and Vacant Sites Bill 2017 aims to increase the levies on vacant sites from 3% per annum to 5%, to bring forward the date from which they apply from 2019 to mid-2017, and to include all sites under the legislation, as currently sites under 500m2 are exempt. Speaking ahead of the debate in the Seanad, Green Party Senator Grace O’Sullivan said,“We are bringing this legislation to tackle what we see as fundamental flaws in the Government’s approach to vacancy and dereliction in our town and city centres. Throughout the country, in our villages, towns and cities, we are seeing countless examples of underutilisation …