Mr. Dara McGowan:

The Senator asked about thinking outside the box in regard to dereliction. One of the problems with compulsory purchase orders on derelict sites is that there is a cost to them and a cost related to the property afterwards. One of the actions we have taken in Meath is to use the urban regeneration and development fund to acquire large tracts of derelict land or buildings, with the intention to avail of further funding to develop them as community housing properties or for commercial use. That is an avenue we went down.