Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last night in my constituency, a community came under attack from youths lighting fires and engaging in antisocial behaviour. In part, the reason for this is derelict council properties that have been allowed to lie idle for years. There are a number of problems. First, thousands of families in cork are crying out to be housed. Second, they are looking at houses that are lying idle. Those houses are a magnet for young people, gangs, antisocial behaviour and criminality. These people are terrifying and terrorising communities. I have asked the Minister to give local authorities complete authority to do up these houses instead of leaving them lie idle for years, to cut out the red tape and bureaucracy in Dublin and to let Cork City Council work on this matter. Will the Taoiseach support my call and ask the Minister to allow this?

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