Limerick City and County Council is continuing with its efforts to tackle dereliction across the region, announcing an intention to acquire a further 22 derelict properties.

This latest tranche of sites were identified from the 388 entries currently on the Council's Derelict Sites Register.

They are located across the city and county and include a number of mid-terraced houses in Croom, neglected land in the city centre, as well as properties in Castleconnell, Kilmallock, Patrickswell, and at various locations in the city.

In the past three years Limerick City and County Council has compulsorily acquired 145 properties with a further 21 applications for consent currently awaiting determination by An Bord Pleanála.

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There have also been a further eight vacant houses acquired for social housing through CPO under the Housing Act 1966.

Since 2019, the Council has sold 19 of the compulsorily acquired properties on the open market with a further 57 for sale or at sale agreed stage.

The majority of these are residential properties needing varying degrees of renovation and are now being brought back into use by new owners.

The Council is also advising these new owners about the Croí Cónaithe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which has funding of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties.

Gordon Daly, Director of Community, Tourism, & Culture with Limerick City and County Council said: "Overall the Council is taking a very robust approach to dealing with dereliction and since 2019 we have completed over 4,200 inspections of derelict and vacant properties in Limerick. This has resulted in over 1,500 statutory notices being served on property owners under Derelict Site Act, 1990, indicating the considerable level of work being undertaken in this area.

"In a large number of cases, owners of properties engage with the Council and a significant amount of housing stock has been brought back into use arising from this activity."