Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 March 2025
930. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of compulsory purchase orders made by the local authorities in counties Wexford and Wicklow, from January 2020 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12053/25]
View answerWhile local authorities are empowered under a number of statutes to acquire land, by agreement or compulsorily, for the purposes of performing any of their functions, the number of derelict sites acquired within their functional area under the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) are submitted to my Department as part of their annual return on the operation of the Act. The number of sites acquired under the Act by Wexford and Wicklow local authorities, both by way of compulsory acquisition or by agreement, in the years 2020 to 2023 is provided in the Table below.
No. Of CPOs per Local Authority
|
Local Authority |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Wexford |
2 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
A new CPO Activation Programme was also launched by my Department in April 2023. The Programme supports a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to the activation of vacant and derelict properties. It also includes guidance for local authorities to actively use their legislative powers to acquire vacant and derelict properties, where engagement with owners has been unsuccessful. Support and guidance on implementation of the Programme is being provided to local authorities by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department and by the Property Optimisation Unit in the Housing Agency.
