A host of 21 derelict properties are set to be acquired by Limerick City and County Council and brought back into use.

The historic Toll Cottages, overlooking the River Shannon, at Verdant Place off Thomond Bridge are among the next batch of properties being acquired by the local authority in a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). Other sites include Lower Mallow Street, Lower Hartstonge Street, Mary's Terrace in Cappamore and two properties in Laurel Hill Avenue.

Using its powers under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, the acquisitions are part of a coordinated approach by Limerick City and County Council to deal with dereliction and vacancy across the city, towns and villages in County Limerick that has seen the Council compulsorily acquire more than 150 derelict sites in the past two years.

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Limerick City and County Council has started the CPO process on more than 160 properties and many of the CPOs already completed have been sold or are up for sale to interested parties, enabling the properties to be brought back into use.

Director of Service with Limerick City and County Council, Gordon Daly said: "Tackling dereliction is a priority for government, it's a priority for the elected members of Limerick City and County Council and the communities they represent and the Council is fully committed to seeing through a comprehensive action plan to deal with this issue. The 21 notices issued today will go some way to addressing the issue and there are further CPO notices to be issued in the coming weeks."

Mr Daly added: "Our message to owners of derelict properties is very simple, Limerick City and County Council will use the full range of statutory powers available to it including the imposition of levies and compulsory acquisition if owners do not address the dereliction."

The Council is now conducting more than 100 derelict property inspections per month and there has been a five-fold increase in the number of properties on the derelict sites register in Limerick since 2018.

It is also using its powers under derelict sites legislation to levy derelict properties annually at 7% of their market value.

The Council has indicated it will publish further CPO's in the coming weeks.