Here are the three derelict buildings that Ireland's councils asked to CPO in August

Two councils sought to acquire properties last month.

BOARDED-UP HOUSES AND crumbling buildings are a common feature of towns and cities across Ireland.

Derelict buildings contribute significantly to Ireland’s housing crisis, and bringing them back into use is one of the government’s strategies for addressing social housing shortfalls and getting more homes on the market.

Last month, the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process was used via An Coimisiún Pleanála for three properties.

Under laws introduced in 1990, every local council keeps a Derelict Sites Register to encourage owners to bring vacant houses and land into use through the imposition of an annual levy of 7% of the property’s market value, which applies until the site is no longer derelict.

When someone objects to a local authority’s attempt to obtain a property via the CPO process, the council can apply to An Coimisiún Pleanála to do so.

The Housing Act also allows local authorities to acquire vacant homes via CPO, which they must also apply to do via the commission.

The process is similar to making a standard planning application, and the board weighs up submissions from the council and the owner of the land before deciding whether a site can be subject to a CPO.

The number of properties that councils try to CPO via the commission every month is usually relatively small.

It is worth noting, however, that Ireland’s councils successfully CPO other properties without having to go to the commission, which helps bring derelict properties back into use.

The Journal reported in March that local authorities acquired a total of 99 properties via Compulsory Purchase Orders last year.

We have also been keeping track of the vacant and derelict properties that councils have applied to the commission to acquire via CPO since April last year.

This list shows the total number of applications made to An Coimisiún Pleanála by councils to CPO derelict properties since our series began in 2025:

In total, two councils applied to the commission in August to CPO three properties between them.

Carrowneden (House 1 and House 2), Killasser, Swinford (Mayo)

On 4 August, Mayo County Council applied to CPO two properties known as House 1 and House 2 in the townland of Carrowneden near Swinford.

The properties have been on the council’s derelict sites register since last year, but there is very little information available about them.

The local authority has not put a value on the sites, as it has done with most other properties on the register, and has only named their owners as “private individual” who live in the Swinford area – it is not even clear if the owners are the same people.

The Journal asked Mayo County Council for more information about the houses, including images and location, but the council would not provide any details beyond what was on the derelict sites register.

“We cannot provide further details at this time as we await the decision of ACP,” a spokesperson said.

A recent report by GeoDirectory for the second quarter of 2026 showed that Mayo is home to 14.2% of Ireland’s derelict properties – more than any other county.

78 Thomas Davis Street, Mallow (Cork)

78 Thomas Davis Street in Mallow Google Street View Google Street View

On 28 August, Cork County Council sought permission to CPO a site at 78 Thomas Davis Street in the town of Mallow.

The property, as well as another property beside it, has been on the council’s derelict sites register since 2024 and is valued by the council at €50,000.

Images from Google Street View from 2022 show a crumbling property and overgrowth at the site.

The council sought to acquire the site in June in an effort to address long-term vacancy in Mallow.

No other information about the property could be found online.