‘Make our towns cool and sexy’: Calls intensify for action on underused Clare properties

A comprehensive review of derelict, vacant and underused properties across Clare is being called for, with the aim of unlocking their potential for housing and regeneration, amid the ongoing housing crisis. 

Fianna Fáil councillor Rita McInerney urged the council at its November meeting to undertake a full audit on these properties within Clare’s towns and villages. 

The goal, she said, is to identify opportunities for activation under Town Centre First, Croí Cónaithe and other relevant regeneration schemes as currently 50% of properties surveyed were vacant with a further 13% deemed derelict. Just 36% were considered to be occupied. 

These figures follow on from a survey which first commenced in 2023 and is still ongoing. 

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Cllr McInerney said "a lot progress has already been made" in regards to data collected by the council’s Derelict Properties Team, recent council reports, strategic policy committees and national data sources.

She stated her hope to "turn local data into action" in order to bring greater co-ordination, visibility and local involvement so that "this valuable information leads directly to [housing] activation and reuse on the ground."

Noting that the council's surveys and health checks have provided excellent data, the challenge still remains in turning this data into local action as in many towns and villages, there are still properties remaining vacant and derelict, even in areas where supports, such as Town Centre First, are available. 

Cllr McInerney explained how "communities often don't have access to clear, up-to-date information on which buildings might be eligible" and to combat these issues, she proposed a "joint approach" between the data gathered by the council and local community and business groups.

Cllr Tom O'Callaghan spoke in support of the motion, referencing the audit of vacant retail units in Ennis being carried out from his motion at a recent meeting of the Ennis Municipal District. 

He noted this as an area of interest, suggesting that if the council can identify these underused retail units and turn them into residential properties, this could potentially be a win-win situation.

Otherwise, the properties will "never be" of commercial use on the ground but if they were to be transformed, it would "help ease the long term burden we have in the shortage of homes."

Cllr Michael Shannon noted that in some cases, the vacant houses in towns and villages are "very, very small" and suggested that "we look at combining [two smaller units] together to bring it up to a modern standard [size]."

He also noted that when school numbers "dwindle" it is an indicator of less new, young families in the area and credited lack of housing as a key factor, expressing that the council must look into this as well as housing activation to encourage young families back into towns.

Fine Gael councillor Tony Mulcahy questioned, "why are they vacant and why are they underused?", saying, "we need to identify why these houses don't have people in them?" He said he would help support this motion "in anyway I can."

Cllr Pat Hayes also questioned the cause of properties remaining vacant asking: "Why don't people want to do something with their [vacant] houses? What is the social issue around it? Legalities? Is it family matters? Why are people not wanting to do something and how can we assist?"

He explained to the chamber how people who can avail of the government grants have spoken of their uncertainty in applying for such schemes, as they may be unable to afford taxes on second properties, also fearing they may lose access to grants in other areas, such as SUSI.

Cllr Joe Garrihy outlined how previously "it wasn't sexy or cool to live in a town or village", stating that the council needs to focus on changing that cultural mindset as it may not always be feasible to live out in the country, especially as people get older.

He emphasised that concentration must be placed on this issue, in order to "make our towns cool and sexy to live in."

Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Killeen called the motion "music to my ears", as he explained that there is a €50,000 grant available from the council to renovate unused, derelict properties, whereas if the council had to issue CPO's (Compulsory Purchase Order), it would cost them approximately €350,000.

Explaining that if people can be encouraged to reuse their properties, then up to seven properties can be renovated for the cost of the council purchasing one.

Senior Planner Helen Quinn said Clare County Council is actively carrying out town and village health checks to track vacancy levels across the county, noting that this data reflects a moment in time and can change frequently. 

Since the Vacant Homes and Derelict Sites Teams were merged, she outlined that the council has surveyed 2,141 properties countywide, focusing on towns and villages. 

Of these, 50% were found to be vacant, 13% derelict and 36% occupied, based on ground surveys informed by 2022 GeoDirectory data and ongoing staff updates recorded on a GIS mapping system. 

The Planning Department is preparing a Town Centre Health Check for Ennis in 2025, which will assess occupancy levels and the nature of uses within the town centre area.

Ms Quinn explained that ongoing reviews of zoned land under the Clare County Development Plan 2023–2029 will help guide future plan variations and influence the next full development plan review in 2027. 

She added that town centre health checks are routinely carried out as part of all town and village masterplans, including recent work in Ennistymon, Corofin and Lisdoonvarna. It will continue to shape future planning and land-use strategies across Clare.