The chief executive of Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes, has said that the council would be open to using compulsory purchase orders to acquire vacant homes in former council estates, that had been purchased by former tenants, but that had become derelict in recent times.
Fine Gael Cllr Jarlath Munnelly raised the proposal at the January meeting of Mayo County Council, saying: "I have raised the need to address vacant and abandoned houses in former council estates - there are quite a few in these estates, these aren't houses that we own and in the main, our ones are being turned around.
"But there are houses that have been bought previously and through lots of reasons, some are vacant. I proposed last year that we CPO them and bring them back into use by us. I understand that once it is economically viable to bring it back into use that can be grant-aided to do so - what is the status with us doing this.
"It is a great opportunity for us to target vacant houses and get them back into housing stock. If people have bought out houses under tenant purchase scheme and through whatever reason they are vacant - if we start CPO process it would very quickly get people who own them out from the woodwork and we could very quickly get houses back into stock."
Mr Hynes responded saying: " On the compulsory purchase order of vacant homes, it is something we would be open to if there is information out there, please let the housing section know and we will pursue it. I am not aware of any but if they are let us know."
