Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

For the local authorities, there is a lot of talk here about compulsorily purchasing and how long CPOs take. Starting with Dublin City Council, the officials were saying they believe they have a plan and funding, but walking around it is horrendous. Cork is the same. Every town and village is blighted by dereliction. We need to be much more aggressive with CPOs. The question for the Department is when will the legislation that will tackle compulsory purchase be delivered. Going back to Dublin City Council and the other local authorities, what people are telling me, like other TDs, is councils do not have the staffing or funding to take on these land hoarders who are letting derelict buildings destroy our towns, villages and city centres. I am looking for a straight answer. Have councils the resources? Have they the staff and the money? If they do, when will it start? I am walking around towns and cities around the State and it is horrendous when you look at them.