Talk to officials from any county or city council about dereliction, and there is an audible sinking of hearts. But Rose Ryall, conservation officer, Waterford City and County Council, said: “It is not just over-shop living which needs to be addressed. Cork City Council says it is currently compulsorily acquiring a number of properties under Derelict Sites Legislation and “more are in train”. “The derelict sites legislation is cumbersome and doesn’t lend itself to generating a speedy resolution to issues of dereliction,” a spokesperson said. When Barry Nolan purchased a small, derelict property on the East Cork coast in 2003, many thought him mad.

Source: Irish Examiner September 12, 2021 07:30 UTC