Major row erupts over Mayo's spiralling dereliction problem
A MAJOR row has erupted in Mayo over the county’s spiralling dereliction problem with local representatives accusing Mayo County Council of failing to get to grips with the issue as the latest national figures show Mayo is the only county in Ireland where dereliction is actually rising.
The latest GeoDirectory report confirmed Mayo’s national share of dereliction is climbing, bucking the downward trend elsewhere. The findings have triggered an fiery response from politicians across the county.
Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon has demanded “full transparency” from Mayo County Council, calling for a report on the “output of the council’s internal interdepartmental working group on derelict sites to be made available.”
The Minister of State also called for more support for the Vacant Homes Officer and the Town Regeneration Officer, improved data collection, and the fast-tracking of refurbishment projects.
“The time for half measures is over,” Dillon insisted.
“Mayo continues to sit well above the national average when it comes to vacancy and dereliction and that is simply not good enough. We need faster progress, stronger drive, and clear accountability.
"Citing boarded-up council-owned buildings and long-neglected town centre streets in Castlebar, Claremorris, and Ballinrobe, the Castlebar-based TD said families and communities were being “short-changed” while hundreds of sites remain idle.
He acknowledged that government schemes such as the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and Urban Regeneration and Development Fund have brought some progress, with over €6 million issued in grants in Mayo alone and more than 800 applications received, but stressed that “money alone will not solve the problem.”
Minister Dillon said the tools are already in place, including Compulsory Purchase Orders and warned that “they must be applied quickly and decisively” if dereliction is to be reversed.
West Mayo district Cathaoirleach Peter Flynn was equally scathing in his criticism, accusing the council of dragging its heels on compulsory purchases. “These are very disappointing but not surprising statistics,” he said.
The Fine Gael representative believes the local authortiy has dropped the ball on dereliction compared to the town council days.
“Mayo County Council has only began to CPO after sustained pressure from a handful of councillors. Any council with real leadership would be doing 20 CPO’s in a single year.”
He pointed to successful examples of redevelopment by the former town councils in Castlebar, Ballina and Westport and said Mayo County Council had failed to match that record.
“It is an utter dereliction of duty when it comes to acting on derelict properties in our town centres,” he added.
“The director of housing has been talking about the same few acquisitions for years. We are miles behind where we should be.”
Councillor Flynn also cited weak government policy, red tape in building regulations, and delays caused by probate and the Fair Deal scheme as additional barriers, but insisted the council must show far more urgency.
In response, Mayo County Council highlighted an upward trend in CPO activity.
So far in 2025, five properties have been acquired, compared to 21 over the past nine years combined – effectively doubling the county’s yearly average in just eight months.
Officials also confirmed there are 23 derelict sites at various stages of design and delivery across the county which, when completed, will provide 113 housing units in towns and villages including Mulranny, Ballavary, Swinford, Foxford, Killala, Castlebar, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Charlestown and Kiltimagh.
Nonetheless, with only 283 sites on Mayo’s official derelict register and an estimated 2,795 derelict properties countywide, pressure is mounting on council management to ramp up its response.
Minister Dillon concluded: “Ultimately, this is about housing output and delivery. Every vacant property turned into a home is a win for Mayo, and every day lost is a missed opportunity.”