There have been calls to urgently repurpose vacant buildings in West Cork to address the housing crisis after figures revealed an alarming 75% jump in the number of derelict sites.

There are now 130 derelict sites on Cork County Council’s register, with 44 of those in the Western Division, which includes Bandon, Kinsale, Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry, Dunmanway, Castletownbere, and their surrounding communities.

Since 2022, the council has initiated 12 compulsory purchase orders - ten under the Derelict Sites Act and two under the Housing Act 1966, four of which are in West Cork and set to become social or affordable housing.

At a recent Western Divisional meeting, councillors discussed plans to repurpose buildings left derelict for years in order to counter the housing shortage. A number of representatives suggested turning vacant sites such as former garda stations, schools and army sites into homes.

Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) said housing units for elderly people could be created in a disused army building on Skibbereen’s Upper Bridge Street.

He said: ‘Not too far from where I live there’s an army building and I don’t think there’s anything happening there. It’s a fine building, it’s well maintained and I doubt very much someone’s been through the door for more than 20 years.’

Cllr Gilian Coughlan (FF) suggested that HSE buildings such as former health centres could be repurposed, adding: ‘Some of the HSE buildings should be purchased by Cork County Council, if not for housing then for community use.’

Councillors were told about the council’s reuse efforts already under way, including at the former Adrigole and Goleen Garda stations.

Cork County Council first launched its vacancy drive in 2022, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, having so far identified 2,860 empty homes across the county. Of the 1,267 properties progressing under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, 279 are in the Bandon Kinsale and West Cork districts.

A Cork County Council spokesperson said: ‘Outside of statutory processes, the Council works directly with property owners to bring surplus buildings to market.’

In 2025 alone, the Council held 21 drop-in events to support owner-led reactivation.

Nationally, the Department of Housing reports that 5,027 properties entered the CPO Activation Programme in 2023, rising to 6,159 in 2024.

The scheme, alongside the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the upcoming Derelict Property Tax, supports reuse through incentives and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs).

The government’s latest Urban Regeneration and Development Fund round allocates €150 million for local authorities nationwide to repurpose vacant and derelict sites, with 1,370 approved nationwide and 5,600 new homes expected to be delivered via actions taken by 2030.

Under the relevant 1990 legislation, Cork County Council keeps track of properties deemed neglected or unsightly enough to detract from an area’s appearance and character.

Measures taken to address this can include levies, renovation orders or compulsory purchase orders to bring these sites back into use.

The derelict sites listed in West Cork vary in valuation from €15,000 up to €350,000 with nine listed in Bandon, three in Bantry, five in Dunmanway, and others in Clonakilty, Kinsale, Castletownbere and Skibbereen.