Cork City Council considers charging full rates on vacant buildings

Labour’s Peter Horgan told the Irish Examiner: “It’s unacceptable that businesses that are paying their rents and rates are staring at vacant commercial buildings enjoying a discount on what they owe"

Owners of vacant commercial buildings could have to pay full rates in a measure being considered by the council, the removal of a scheme that has lost the council €15.5m in rates in the last four years. Picture: Chani Anderson

Owners of vacant commercial buildings could have to pay full rates in a measure being considered by Cork City Council, a move which would see the removal of a scheme that has lost the council €15.5m in rates in the last four years.

The council wrote off €3.8m in 2025, €3.9m in 2024, €4m in 2023 and €3.7m in 2022 in commercial rates on vacant buildings.