Council's efforts to tackle dereliction in Clare 'welcome' but 'overdue'

A CLARE TD has welcomed news that Clare County Council will take more forceful action on vacancy and dereliction in the county but says it is "long past overdue".

The council was last month allocated €2.5 million by the Department of housing as part of Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), with much of the spend destined for Ennis.

URDF Call 3 is specifically designed to address long term vacancy and dereliction, and the acceleration of the provision of residential accommodation in our towns and cities.

The funding allows local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties which aren’t on the market, or the market hasn’t responded to, and then offer these properties for private sale to individuals who in return will commit to bringing the property into use as a home.

Independent TD Violet-Anne Wynne has responded to the recent news of Clare County Council increasing its effort to tackle dereliction in the county, and said that it "cannot come at a better time".

"People are struggling with the high cost of living and the extortionate cost of rent makes the private rental market a very grim place. The anxiety of near constant rent increases is unimaginable," Deputy Wynne said in a statement.

"“The increased action on vacancy and dereliction is a positive development as the cost of rent continues to increase. For too long property owners have been permitted to leave vacant and derelict properties to lie empty and unused as the homelessness crisis deepens," she continued.

The increased action by Clare County Council has led property owners to either sell their properties or bring them back into use. This is because when properties owners have their properties declared derelict and sent Compulsory Purchase Orders, they are liable for levies involved in acquiring the property.

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At present there are plans to provide 22 social housing units on a vacant derelict site on Moore Street in Kilrush, Deputy Wynne's home town.

Speaking this week at Kilrush, the Clare TD said that while she is pleased the Council and private bodies are taking action to tackle dereliction; "the uncomfortable truth is that it will take time before this has any effect on the homelessness crisis in Clare."

"If any significant reduction in homelessness is to be achieved, I once again urge the government to introduce legislation expanding the definition of homelessness, abolish No-Fault Evictions and introduce deposit protection for tenants. It is the only way to make the private rental sector a viable means of securing long-term housing."