Dereliction row: where do the levies go?
One councillor spoke about the derelict apartment complex Clarendon Court, pictured.
Vacant and derelict spaces are a common sight across Waterford.
Dedicated registers have been set up to re-purpose and capitalise these vacant areas but many large derelict buildings remain.
At the latest Metropolitan meeting, Councillors raised numerous queries over various abandoned buildings in Waterford City.
Throughout the meeting in City Hall, members of the Executive gave a series of muffled responses in the drowned acoustics of The Large Room.
The Ard Rí is the most prominent example of a derelict site in Waterford. Since closing in 2005, the former luxury hotel has become a living testament to stalled investment and crumbling infrastructure in the city.
In a recent letter to the editor, Senator Joe Conway described the Grand Hotel in Tramore as a "hulking carbuncle".
Councillor Jason Murphy (Fianna Fáil) referenced those comments at the meeting, saying: "While I fully agree in relation to the Grand Hotel, we have a bigger one in Waterford City and that's the Ard Rí hotel. It's visible from all over the city and it has now been derelict for over 20 years.
"This is one of the key sites in Waterford and indeed in the South East. I think it brings shame on the owners of that building and shame, too, to this Council that it's still derelict after all those years."
The Ard Rí site had been the subject of a years-long legal dispute between Treacy's Hotel Group and US fund Cerberus. An agreement was reached in April 2024.
Cllr Murphy asked what kind of engagement was being sought with the property owners and about the levies that may have been incurred in that time. He asked: "Are we enforcing any levies at all on that site? I think it's an absolute disgrace."
Councillor Joeanne Bailey asked the Council about the value of levies received in 2025. She asked: "With the Grand Hotel being mentioned, I want to know what penalties have been sent over? How much money do they owe?"
The Sinn Féin councillor requested a breakdown of the outstanding levies for the coming February meeting.
Senior Town Planner Hazel O'Shea said in regards to the Ard Rí: "You'll be aware that there was a land ownership dispute between two individuals, which has only been confirmed in the last 18 months. So Council couldn't collect levies. Now it's back on the radar and I know that David Quinn in our Active Land Management is currently looking at the property."
Councillor Donal Barry once again raised the derelict state of the Clarendon apartment complex and demanded that the Executive carry out a comprehensive report on the building. The Independent Councillor said: "Despite repeated requests, I have received no response outlining the total amount of taxpayers’ money already spent on this site. This lack of transparency is unacceptable, particularly given the scale and duration of the issue.
"While the full cost of renovating these apartments cannot be precisely quantified at this stage, previous estimates, when adjusted for construction, inflation, indicate that the refurbishment alone would amount to several million euro.
"When this is considered alongside the original purchase cost of the building, ongoing Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) expenditures to landlords, for households who should be accommodated in these units, the loss of rental income to the Council, associated legal costs, and the cost implications of swapping a house in Viewmount for one of the vacant commercial units, it is evident that taxpayers are carrying a financial burden running into many millions of euro."
He added: "Such a prolonged and costly failure would not be tolerated in the private sector. It would trigger immediate intervention, clear accountability, and decisive corrective action. That this situation has been allowed to persist for so long, particularly in the context of an ongoing housing and homelessness crisis, is indefensible."
Cllr Barry demanded answers about the current owners of the building, what progress is being made, what timelines are in place and whether all legal matters have been resolved.
He commented: "The public is entitled to transparency, accountability, and outcomes. This situation can no longer be allowed to drift along."
A member of the Executive stated that the complex was the subject of an "extensive" FOI (Freedom of Information) response. He confirmed that the "delivery team" would give a formal presentation on the complex and have "increased engagement" with the property owners.
