Just one property in Leitrim acquired by council through the CPO process in 2025

Leitrim County Council acquired just one property through the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) process in 2025 with the property located at Market Street in Dromahair.

The stats were highlighted by The Journal who has, under the Freedom of Information Act, been keeping track of the vacant and derelict properties that councils have sought to acquire via An Coimisiún Pleanála for the past year.

The task of bringing vacant homes back into use falls to local authorities who put them on the Derelict Sites Register which aims 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.

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If councils aren’t satisfied with how the owners of derelict properties are doing, then the Housing Act allows them to acquire vacant properties via Compulsory Purchase Orders so that the local authority can bring them back into use.

The Journal found that local authorities acquired a total of 99 properties last year, comprising a mix of derelict houses and land where future housing can be built.

However, councils also commenced the CPO process for more properties for which they are still waiting to be given legal ownership, or a decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála. 

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Monaghan County Council acquired the highest number of properties (17) via CPO in 2025, followed by Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council (12 each) and 11 councils did not acquire a single property.