Council officials are being hampered in their quest to restore derelict sites and houses in Co Cork as many of the properties are in the hands of financial institutions which can escape penalties applicable to private owners.

Furious city councillors have advised the man who chaired the shelved Cork council merger report to “get off the pitch” and let government get on with extending the city boundary.

A war of words has erupted between Cork city and county councils during the review of the region’s local government structures after city claims it has identified a €5m error in county figures.