Rents are through the roof. There is a dire shortage of houses to rent or buy. Yet there are 166,000 vacant or derelict houses across the country, including almost 4,000 in South Dublin County Council (SDCC). One in three of these have been idle since 2016. 

It is shameful to allow ‘investors’ sit on vacant houses during a housing crisis, letting them fall into disrepair and cause major problems for those nearby. That’s why People Before Profit is launching a campaign to tackle dereliction. 

We have highlighted a number of properties in Dublin South West which have been vacant for years and are already on the derelict housing register. One of these houses (photographed) has been on the derelict register for 6 years, and is owned by the vulture fund Pepper Finance. PBP brought a motion to SDCC calling for these properties to be taken into public ownership if the owners continue to leave them derelict. Despite opposition from Fine Gael and some of the so-called ‘Independents’, this motion passed. It must now be implemented without delay.

This is just the beginning. Many more derelict properties are not yet on the register. That’s why we are appealing for your help.