We're going to war on dereliction — but not yet

A small but radical transfer of responsibility might give the derelict property tax a real impact, but it's taking too long, write Jude Sherry and Frank O'Connor of #DerelictIreland

Protesters outside a derelict building on North Main Street in Cork City during an anti-dereliction demonstration in June. It took the Government three years to listen to us then, we hope they will be quicker to act this time. Picture: Chani Anderson

You may have missed it but hidden in the ‘austerity in boom-time’ budget is a small but very significant technicality that will see Revenue collecting and renaming the 35-year-old Derelict Site Levy, from now on known as the Derelict Property Tax.

Finally, the Government is giving teeth to what has been an ineffective and largely ignored levy. This represents the first shot fired in the housing minister James Browne’s declared ‘War on Dereliction’. It’s a radical shift in how serious the Government is in tackling dereliction, and fair to say would not have happened if not for public pressure through the nationwide grassroots #DerelictIreland movement.