The first ever conference on dereliction in Ireland took place in Donegal today.
The ‘Derelict in Donegal and Beyond’ convention, was co-hosted by Letterkenny Tidy Towns and the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Group.
It was officially opened by Deputy Peter Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The minister said such a conference was ‘never more important’ than now due to the housing crisis.
It also drew national and international experts on the subject, including Ms Jude Sherry and Dr Frank O’Connor of the Anois agency.
The couple are famous for starting the Derelict Ireland campaign which brought the issue of dereliction to the national stage.
Indeed, Dr O’Connor praised the man behind today’s event, Donnan Harvey (above), for “leading the way in ending dereliction in Ireland.”
He also said there were more serious consequences for a child stealing a bar of chocolate than an adult neglecting a town centre building.
“If a child steals a bar of chocolate, they can end up in court. But, if you let a building become derelict, you can literally get away with murder,” Dr O’Connor said.
However, he welcomed confirmation from Minister Burke that a vacant property tax would be introduced in the next Budget.
Ms Sherry also informed delegates that a recent Hardware Association of Ireland report showed that restoring an old building cost 60% less than building a new one.
“That is because the materials and structure are already there,” she said.
Dr O’Connor added that the most sustainable buildings are the ones that are already standing.
“It does not cost more to do up an old building than to build a new one,” he said.
“That is a myth that comes from builders and the construction industry.”
Meanwhile, Mr Harvey told the conference that Donegal County Council confirmed to him that it is yet to recruit a Vacant Homes Officer. However, the funding is in place to hire such a person.
Delegates also heard that the council ‘led the way’ nationally for its work with the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Group.
We will publish more reports on this groundbreaking conference over the coming days.
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