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

I am not sure if the Minister of State understands the question. He started talking about the vacant homes officer but I am talking about derelict sites, which is a different matter. Thousands of derelict sites and buildings around the State are being left to rot. COP26 is going on at the moment and the most sustainable way of reducing our carbon footprint is to repair and retrofit houses that already exist. It is a win for everyone. It is a win for local authorities because housing stock can be turned around more quickly. More importantly, it is a victory for people who need homes and we protect the environment at the same time. There are now 100 derelict sites within the Cork City Council area. Frank O'Connor and Jude Sherry did a survey and identified 400 derelict sites across each local authority in Cork.

This is the case in every local authority area. Scandalously, the Minister of State and his Department allowed landlords to get away with derelict sites that are destroying communities.

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