Portumna derelict hotel
Deputy O'Hara raised the dangerous dereliction of the former Shannon Oaks hotel in Portumna, describing antisocial behaviour and serious safety risks. The Minister said dereliction was being tackled through existing schemes and would refer the case to the housing department and local authority unit.
I wish to raise the issue of dereliction. The former Shannon Oaks hotel in Portumna, County Galway, has lain idle and derelict for close to 15 years. The site is an eyesore and is attracting antisocial behaviour. It is a serious health and safety issue because the site is not properly secured. It is being entered very regularly, which is very concerning because it is a very unstable structure that has been damaged after a fire. It is an accident waiting to happen. Galway County Council is not willing or equipped to deal with the issue of dereliction. The last time I checked, there were only four properties on the county's derelict sites register, which is nowhere near an accurate reflection of the situation on the ground. Shannon Oaks is not on that register so there are no penalties for the owners of this site, Brian and Luke Comer, who are very wealthy individuals, that would encourage them to bring the hotel back into use - this is what the people of Portumna want above all else because it was the only hotel in the town and crucial for the area - or, at least, address the safety concerns and encourage them to give it to somebody who will bring it back into use. Will the Government finally get its act together on dereliction and empower and resource local authorities to deal with this issue and enforce the derelict sites register?
Comment on this
The Government has redoubled its efforts regarding dereliction. The previous Government did so with the introduction of a number of grants that are being used in a very successful way to turn derelict properties into homes. There is a derelict sites register that is used at the moment. I am sure Galway County Council does not lack will regarding the issue. It sounds like the hotel mentioned by the Deputy is of a bigger scale than a mere home. I will pass on this issue to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and its local authority unit to see what can be done. At the bare minimum, any site like that should be made secure and should not be adding to any difficulties that a community is facing.