WHITEHALL COLLEGE SITE MUST BE ADDED TO DERELICT SITES REGISTER

Call for Former Whitehall College Building on the Swords Road, to be added to the derelict sites register. In Correspondence with the Derelict Sites section of Dublin City Council, McAuliffe received confirmation that the site, which has been vacant for many years, has now been listed for inspection in order to determine whether its current exterior condition warrants action under the Derelict Sites Act 1990. Commenting, Deputy McAuliffe said: “The former Whitehall College building has been lying vacant for over a decade, although, it is not yet clear why it hasn’t been registered on the derelict site list in Dublin City Council. This building has been a blight in the area. Its dereliction has brought about antisocial behaviour, with it recently being set on fire. This has also had a big knock-on impact with local sports clubs. With secondary schools now finished for the summer and primary schools soon finishing, there must be better security arrangements in the first instance, alongside addressing the buildings dereliction. I understand that there were legal concerns regarding its future, but meanwhile, there has been no proactive measures to prevent its decay, including the basic first step of adding it to the register of derelict sites. It’s a shame to see buildings sit idle anywhere in Dublin, but at the least it should be registered as derelict so the council can keep track and collect any fees incurred. I have been in contact with the Council on this issue and I would urge them to come to a swift decision on its registration status."