Anyone walking through the Northside can point to neglected corners and boarded up buildings that have sat untouched for years.
That is why the figure of just eleven derelict buildings across the entire north central area has landed with disbelief among residents and public representatives, and it is why Clontarf councillor
Kevin Breen is now urging Dublin City Council to take a far more aggressive approach to vacancy.
At the recent North Central Area Committee meeting, councillors were presented with the latest official report on dereliction.
It stated that only eleven properties in the district are currently listed on the Derelict Sites Register.
Cllr Breen immediately challenged the accuracy and the implications of that number, saying it bears no resemblance to the lived reality of the area.
“I just find it amazing that we can get a report saying there is only 11 derelict buildings in the whole area,” he said.
Residents feel the same way, he added.
Many have been raising concerns for years about vacant houses, shuttered shops and sites left idle by various owners. In his view, the council’s current system for identifying dereliction is completely out of step with what people experience every day.
“Anyone who leaves their house for more than five minutes knows that we are surrounded by derelict, empty buildings,” he said.
For Cllr Breen, the problem is not simply undercounting.
He believes the lack of comprehensive identification reflects a deeper issue with the council’s overall stance on dereliction and the impact it has on both communities and the housing crisis.
He warned that the failure to map out and track long term vacancy makes meaningful enforcement almost impossible.
“It reflects a serious lack of political will that we aren’t even identifying sites,” he said.
He also argued that the city is ignoring obvious chances to boost housing supply at a time when the demand for homes is at its highest in decades.
Long term vacancy, he said, is an unnecessary burden on residents who are already struggling to find affordable places to live.
“Housing is the biggest issue facing our city, and the fact that we aren’t willing to go after the low hanging fruit is just remarkable,” he added.
Cllr Breen said neglected sites pull whole streets down. Local shops suffer when buildings around them sit empty.
Young people trying to stay in the area find it even harder to secure a place to live. In his view, dereliction is not a side issue. It is a direct contributor to declining neighbourhoods and rising housing pressure.
He said it is deeply frustrating to see the same buildings sitting idle year after year while demand intensifies.
“Dereliction drags down entire streets, affects local businesses, and contributes to the housing crisis by leaving usable buildings idle,” he said.
“We need a serious, coordinated approach, not minimal reporting that ignores what people see every day.”
He is calling for a much more aggressive strategy from Dublin City Council.
That includes actively identifying every derelict property in the area, enforcing existing powers, and investing in the large number of unused council owned buildings that could be brought back into public use.
“We can’t keep sitting on our hands.
Every day that these buildings are left idle is another lost opportunity for a young family looking to get on the property ladder, or a young person trying to get out of their parents’ box room,” he said.