Kildare County Council is owed over €16m in development levies
The money is used to pay for services provided
Over €16m worth of development levies are owed to Kildare County Council up to the end of last year.
The levies are paid by individuals and companies to cover the cost to the council of providing vital infrastructural supports and from part of almost every planning permission decision.
The levies are a condition of planning permission.
The figure was criticised by Social Democrat councillor Bill Clear who said it is a substantial amount adding “I’ve no doubt some serious developers are in here.”
He also acknowledged that some of the money is owed by people building a single home.
According to figures produced by KCC an additional €1.3m was paid by the government in 2023 for customers who were eligible for a temporary time-limited waiver which came into being to “incentivise the activation of increased housing supply.”
It applies for a year to all permitted residential development that starts between April 2023 and April 2025 and is completed by the end of 2025. Some 155 residential units availed of this waiver in 2023.
KCC collected €101.8m in levies between 2019 and last year.
It says all development contribution customers who are in arrears are “continually under review” and engagement with people includes letters, phone calls and meetings.”
Half of the levies due is liable once a commencement notice is received by KCC from the applicant and the remaining 50% is due 12 months later.
KCC official Barbara Sweeney pointed out that when someone in arrears “fails to engage” the matter is referred for legal action.
It was also pointed out that for 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic caused financial difficulties for development contributions customers and the council did not legally pursue customers in arrears during this time.
But from 2022 “files have been referred for the appropriate legal action.”
Ms Sweeney also pointed out that letters regarding the payment of levies - which are sought when a property is being sold - are not issued until everything is paid.