“That is unacceptable” - Barrett calls for stronger action on dereliction in Mayo
Local councillor says national investigation should serve as wake-up call amid housing crisis
Mayo councillor Harry Barrett has called for stronger enforcement measures to tackle dereliction across the county, saying recent findings highlighted by an RTÉ Investigates programme demonstrate the urgent need for action.
The report found that many derelict sites across Ireland face little or no enforcement despite legislation being in place to address the issue.
Cllr Barrett said the situation is particularly concerning in Mayo, where vacant and deteriorating properties remain a common sight while hundreds of people continue to search for housing.
“Across our county, people are looking at boarded-up buildings, abandoned houses and properties falling into ruin while, at the very same time, we’ve nearly 270 people here in Mayo desperately searching for somewhere to live,” he said. “That situation cannot continue.”
The councillor argued that the powers needed to address dereliction already exist under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, but said local authorities must be more willing to use them.
He called on Mayo County Council to increase the number of properties placed on the Derelict Sites Register, saying many buildings that clearly meet the criteria have yet to be included.
“If a property is derelict, it should be on the register, end of,” he said.
Cllr Barrett also urged the council to enforce the derelict sites levy more aggressively, claiming the level of levy income collected last year was inadequate.
“For too long, some property owners have been allowed to leave buildings lying idle and falling apart without facing meaningful consequences,” he said. “The amount of money we collected last year was something like €37,000 — that’s very poor.”
He further called for greater use of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) to bring long-term vacant and derelict properties back into productive use.
“Where owners refuse to act and properties remain derelict year after year, the council should intervene, acquire those properties and bring them back into use,” he said. “We only acquired 15 properties from 2021 to 2024, whereas Carlow acquired 26. That is unacceptable.”
Cllr Barrett said tackling dereliction should form a key part of efforts to address the housing crisis, particularly in town centres where vacant buildings could potentially be converted into homes.
“At a time when we are facing a housing crisis, it makes no sense to have homes and buildings sitting empty and decaying in the heart of our towns,” he said. “Every derelict property left untouched is a missed opportunity to house a family.”
Concluding, he said the issue requires immediate local action rather than further discussion.
“It is [a problem] that must be solved locally. The time for reports and discussions has passed. What people want now is enforcement, action and results.”