Mr. Dave Walsh:

I will let Mr. Sheridan off the hook here. The CPO powers rest with the planning authority. The local authorities will monitor their housing stock in their areas, that is, houses they control such as social housing, and they look at the community. The local authority will hear about vacant properties directly or people may write in and say a building is in terrible state, is not being used and that it should be used. The local authorities have powers under the CPO legislation around derelict sites to enable them either to force the person who owns or controls the house to fix it up and make use of it, and if that does not happen the authority can compulsorily acquire the house. There are a number of steps, which the legislation sets out very clearly. We give everybody involved an opportunity to understand that there are certain requirements and that it can be a safety issue. If a building is going to fall down or is collecting waste and becoming a health hazard, there is a notice of intention placed by the local authority. An Bord Pleanála gets involved only where a person might appeal the compulsory purchase. If the owner of the building says, for example, that he or she wants to do something with the building, then the appeal goes to the board.