Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome what the Minister said but there is a need for local authorities to be more ambitious again. The Minister has a role in that but there is also a role for local authorities. As I said, some local authorities have taken up the mantle. While taking ownership of buildings and returning them to community use is important, part of this is also a need to take ownership of buildings and restore them to dwellings and other uses, not just community use. The scheme the Minister spoke about is welcome. I am not criticising it but we need to go further in that regard. We are in the middle of a housing crisis and people walk through our towns, cities and villages and see buildings that are derelict and vacant and it is very frustrating. In my constituency, I think of the historic spine of the city up North and South Main Street, Shandon Street, Barrack Street and the adjoining areas, an area of the city that is 800 or 900 years old. The amount of dereliction there is a huge blight on the area, an area which otherwise has great potential. Part of that needs to be, as well as community and commercial use, bringing families back into the town and city centres. Local authorities can and should do more.

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