Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Vacancy and dereliction are a curse across our cities, towns and villages. A study by the Revenue Commissioners two years ago put the number of vacant buildings at more than 57,000. There is plenty of potential for housing there. One of those buildings was probably the old Central Hotel in Mallow, County Cork. The building has been put onto the derelict sites register. It will have been vacant and derelict for 17 years this year. It could be used for affordable apartments or community facilities for young people, for shops, or for a combination of the three. We need to use it or lose it. Will the Taoiseach agree that local authorities, such as Cork County Council, need to be far more assertive in using their powers for compulsory purchase?

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