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

That is precisely right. That is what a lot of the strategy needs to be. Retail is part of the solution but we also need families in our town centres. The two drive each other. I welcome the funding. We discussed it last week with the Heritage Council, which, along with several other stakeholders, was before the Oireachtas committee on the issue of dereliction. One area that got funding was the town of Passage West in my constituency, which is close to Cork city. It highlights another power local authorities have. While it is welcome that investment is happening there in planning, Passage West is an historic town. It was effectively the original port of Cork. There is a great maritime tradition, but it is also an area that has not reached its full potential, and I think it can. There is an 8-acre site in the middle of town - the old docks - that is in private ownership. One of the mechanisms at the disposal of local authorities is their planning power. If they do not possess something, they can create master plans for future use and dictate what the future use of a site will be upon its next sale. Sometimes, that power is not used. The docklands site in Passage West in particular is the key to opening up the town onto the water, which will be a huge asset if it can happen.

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