I thank Deputy Gould for the question. Addressing vacancy and dereliction is a key priority of the Government. The vacant homes action plan published in January 2023 set out a range of actions to be taken to return vacant and derelict properties back to use as homes. The 2025 progress report shows significant progress has been made and it is available on the Department's website. The CPO activation programme encourages a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to address vacancy and dereliction. Local authorities are identifying vacant and derelict properties and engaging with the owners to bring these back into use, using the wide variety of schemes now in place. This includes using their compulsory purchase powers where engagement with the owners of the properties has been unsuccessful. It is true to say that local authorities vary in their willingness to use compulsory purchase powers and the Department is working to support them to strengthen their activation response to vacancy and dereliction. This is certainly something about which I am engaging with local authorities when I go around the country. I want local authorities to use their powers under the Housing Act and the Derelict Sites Act. The programme requires co-ordination across teams in local authorities to support a focused response and this is occurring with reorganisation and new structures being established in local authorities. From my experience in dealing with local authorities, I note that where it is done under a single directorate in the local authority it functions a lot better than where it is a cross-directorate approach. The data on the CPO activation programme the Deputy referenced in his question is currently being verified and finalised and will be published in the coming weeks.
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It is certainly my expectation that the report will be published this month. That is what my officials advise me. Local authorities have a role in pursuing the owners of vacant and derelict properties. They can issue notices and where those notices are not acted upon, the properties are included on the register and levies are applied. The Deputy will be aware that in yesterday's budget announcement, a derelict property tax was announced by the Minister for Finance. I have engaged with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on this. Local authorities will have a role to play in identifying all those properties and ensuring we have an accurate register of the number of derelict properties so they can be levied and those levies can be collected by Revenue. As I said yesterday, we have had a whole suite of responses. I sat on the Oireachtas joint committee and the Deputy knows about many of the positive schemes that are in place. However, if the carrot is not used, the stick that is the tax is coming and it is coming quickly.
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To be honest, that is just a bluff of a response as well because the Deputy is well aware that the organisation and role of local authorities in this is important. He knows about the schemes, including the vacant property refurbishment grant, the repair and leasing scheme and the buy and renew scheme.
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I did not interrupt the Deputy. All the schemes that are in place are to bring those properties back into use. What we announced in the budget yesterday was a derelict property tax-----
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Once again, I did not interrupt the Deputy.
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With all due respect, I did not interrupt the Deputy so I would appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to reply. We are introducing that tax as the stick that will come if the carrot of those schemes has not been used. CPOs have a role to play. The issuing of the notices and instructing the owners of those properties to bring them back into use and activate them is also a tool some local authorities are using to good effect and others are not. The Deputy invited me to take a stroll around Dublin, Cork or Waterford. I walk Waterford every day of the week when I am at home and tremendous work has been done through CPOs and the schemes I mentioned. I am sure in the Deputy's city of Cork good work is being done, but also that more needs to be done to tackle vacancy and dereliction.
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No problem.
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No problem.
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have no ability as Minister of State with responsibility for planning to place a pause on any type of planning application, be that for housing, wind energy, infrastructural projects or any other type of development. The 2006 wind energy development guidelines will remain in force pending the finalisation of revised guidance, which is currently subject to a focused review by my Department considering matters such as noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. In conjunction with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, my Department has been working to advance guidance on a number of these key aspects, including the noise aspect of the guidance, to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose, having regard to a series of considerations, including but not limited to our commitments to increase the percentage of our electricity that comes from renewable sources. In the interim, at local level, the city and county development plans set out where development is acceptable, including wind energy development. I can assure the Deputy that I am acutely conscious of the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future to prioritise the publication of the wind energy development guidance, having regard to international best practice and standards. In light of this commitment, my Department is working towards concluding the finalisation of a review of the guidance as a priority, having regard to the requirements for a public consultation and the finalisation of associated reforms and reviews included in the revision of the NPF.
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I will not publish anything for the sake of ticking a box. I have been in this role for six or seven months. I want to ensure that we get these guidelines right, so I have been working extensively with my officials, who have been engaging with their colleagues in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. All of the matters raised by the Deputy are being taken into account in the review, which is ongoing. I am aware of the draft guidelines that were published in 2019 before my time in this House or this role. A considerable number of submissions concerned noise and the issue has taken up a significant amount of time in trying to ensure that we get that element right. I am committed to ensuring that the guidelines are finalised and there is a public consultation on the draft guidelines when they are ready. That is a priority in the Department.
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I reiterate that it is a priority in my Department. My officials and I have been working on this for a considerable period of time. I want to ensure that we get these revised guidelines right. I take public consultation seriously. There was public consultation over the summer on exempted development and over 920 submissions were received. I have reviewed all of those so I take on board what has come in. It helps formulate policy. To get to a point of having a draft, we have to ensure that they are as accurate and complete as possible and this is what my officials have been working extensively on. I hope we will be in a position to publish those in the not-too-distant future but I want to get it right.
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