Elaine Loughlin: How many derelict buildings are there in the State? The Government doesn't know

Refurbishing and renovating derelict and vacant buildings around the country is supposed to be a key plank of the State's housing strategy yet the Government has no idea how many of these vacant buildings exist

Elaine Loughlin: Bringing buildings back into use would sort out the eyesores that every Tidy Towns committee frets over, but more importantly it would provide solid homes for so many families.

How can the Government expect to finally tackle the housing crisis when it doesn't even know what it's dealing with?

Time and time again, we have been told  refurbishing and renovating derelict and vacant buildings will be a key part of getting us out of the almighty mess.