Vacant site owners have paid less than 0.2% of last year's levies

Junior housing minister Peter Burke detailed the levies and the shortfall in payments in response to a parliamentary question from Kildare South Sinn Féin TD, Patricia Ryan. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Only €21,000 has been paid so far in vacant site levies in respect of 2020, leaving a total outstanding bill of €14m.

The comparable overdue sum in 2018 was €1.2m.

This is according to figures released by the minister of state at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke, following a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Patricia Ryan.

According to Mr Burke, 89 sites valued at a total of €132m were liable to the levy at the 3% rate in 2019 in respect of 2018.

As well as this, 86 letters were issued in 2019/2020 demanding levy payments to a value of €4.1m in respect of 2018.

A total of €905,000 in levy payments was received for 2018, and levy payments of €1.2m are outstanding in respect of 2018.

Some sites removed from register

However, the minister said it should be noted that some sites were removed from the register after appeals, or the commencement of development on the sites.

The levy has been in place since 2018 and is designed to motivate developers to sell or develop sites which have been vacant for some time.

The levy was initially charged at 3% of the value of land but this has been increased to 7%.

In 2019, 181 sites valued at a total of €198m were liable for the levy at the 7% rate, payable in 2020.

A little over €1m of €12.6m bill for 2019 paid

As well as this, 153 letters were issued in 2020 demanding levy payments to a value of €13m for the same year. A total of €1.18m in levy payments was received in respect of 2019, while €11.5m is outstanding for levy payments for the same year.

In 2020, 215 sites, valued at a cumulative total of €268m, were liable to the levy at the 7% rate.

In 2021, 79 letters were issued demanding levy payments to a value of €11.8m in respect of 2020.

A total of €21,000 in levy payments has been paid so far for the year 2020, while there is €14.3m outstanding.

A number of local authorities noted delays in issuing demands for payments in respect of 2020 due to Covid-19.

The levy is not intended to be a revenue-generating measure, with the proceeds accruing to the relevant local authority rather than the Exchequer.