'Dereliction is a pollutant in Irish society... a social crime'

'The most common dereliction myth is that we need new legislation to tackle it. Although it’s not perfect, the simple fact is the Derelict Sites Act 1990 is not fully enforced,'  the Oireachtas Housing Committee heard.

The “social crime” of derelict and vacant housing can be tackled with existing and new policies but many available tools, such as levies, are not currently being enforced, the Oireachtas Housing Committee heard.

Accurate data on dereliction is also needed so the State can better understand and respond to the problems, the committee heard.