Almost €300,000 in Laois dereliction fines going unpaid

Almost €300,000 in derelict sites fines is owed to Laois County Council, who are increasing their action on the county wide problem of vacant and derelict Laois properties.

The council's CEO, and its former housing officer is Michael Rainey made the promise recently.

"The first two CPOs this year have been advertised. You will see a lot more happening in this county. This is the start," he promised, speaking at the June monthly meeting.

Unpaid fines on derelict Laois properties date back as far as 2022 and total €297,600.

This year the council has sent out payment demands totalling €184,100. They collected just €17,150 in 2024, and so far this year, another €9,100.

The council now has a Regeneration team who are visiting Rathdowney, Mountrath and Ballylinan this summer to target town centre derelict sites that have been left idle for a long time. 

They have already visited Mountmellick and Portarlington.

Initial contact has been made with the owners of 40 sites in May, but no notices are served on them yet. However correspondance was sent regarding another 26 sites in May, 2025. 

Cllr John King says pressure must be put on owners.

"Can we put pressure on them to do them up and avail of the €80,000 Repair and Lease scheme? There are four properties derelict in Rathdowney. We need our people living back in our towns. It's not fair. People are not willing to do anything," he said at the June council meeting.

He said that Laois County Council should advertised its Repair and Lease scheme better.

The CEO Michael Rainey had reported that there is a "poor level of interest" in Laois in the scheme, which loans owners €80,000 to renovate derelict properties. They are then leased out to the council for a minimum of five years, with the money paid back through the rent, for people on the council housing list.

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There are currently 41 sites on the Derelict Sites Register. Five more are in the process of being added. Six were removed, following improvements made to the look of the sites, or Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) by Laois County Council.

Owners of registered derelict properties are fined at 3% of the property's worth, rising to 7% in the second year, plus interest. A lot of that money has not been paid however.