Clare Social Housing Chair Says Safety Must Remain Top Priority When Renovating Commercial Units

Clare County Council's Social Housing Chair says safety must remain the main priority when rennovating commerical properties, even in a housing crisis. It comes as the Hardware Association Ireland has made recommendations such as waiving the capital gains tax on empty homes for three years and applying a 6% annual derelict property tax in their pre-buget submission. Shannon recorded the greatest commerical vacancy rate nationwide at the end of last year at 30%, with Kilrush following closely behind at 24%. However Shannon Independent Councillor, Gerry Flynn says however that any planning applications must be heavily scrutinised to ensure such units are fit for their new purpose.