Government to CPO thousands of properties as part of crackdown on vacant homes

Many families "like to be able to have a stab at owning one of those properties", the housing minister said.

No 19 South Terrace Cork City is on the derelict sites register. Picture: Larry Cummins

Housing minister Darragh O'Brien has promised to dramatically ramp up compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) as part of a multi-pronged approach to reducing the number of vacant homes.

Mr O'Brien is now instructing the Housing Agency to CPO thousands of vacant properties and to then put them up for sale on the private market.