Reform CPO system to deliver housing and infrastructure –Geoghegan

Fine Gael’s Dublin spokesperson, James Geoghegan TD will today (Wednesday) introduce legislation to reform Ireland’s Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) system. This will be a key step towards tackling the country’s housing crisis and accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure.

Deputy Geoghegan said: “Our current CPO system is fragmented, outdated, and overly complex. It causes unnecessary delays, inflates costs and slows down the very projects we urgently need – from new homes to vital infrastructure. That’s why I’m introducing this Bill today.”

Outlining the visible impact of an ineffective CPO system on Dublin’s streets, Deputy Geoghegan continued: “In our capital city, vacant and derelict buildings are all too common. Recent data shows over 12,000 residential and commercial units lie empty and shockingly, 40% have been vacant for more than four years. These buildings could be transformed into badly needed homes and help make Dublin safer, livelier and more livable.”

Examples of long-term vacancy include:

• The former Welcome Inn pub on Marlborough Street, empty since 2011
• Multiple units on Parnell Street, parts of South Circular Road, and James’s Street
• Vacant buildings on Aungier Street and the corner of Lombard and Townsend Street

“According to Dublin City Council, the average CPO process currently takes 18 months or more. That timeline is simply not compatible with the scale and urgency of our housing and infrastructure needs.

“Looking to our closest neighbours in England and Wales, the introduction of statutory deadlines and streamlining compensation rules have reduced CPO confirmation times. That’s the kind of progress we need in Ireland.

“Research from the Department of Finance shows that a six-month delay can reduce the return on a project from 10% to 8% – and a 12-month delay pushes it down to just 6%. That 40% drop is enough to make some projects unbuildable. We can’t allow bureaucracy to kill off good development.

“Judicial review and CPO uncertainty are already driving up the cost of major national projects, like the Shannon Water Pipeline, which will require compulsory purchase orders for land acquisition. Uisce Éireann has already spent over €74 million on the Shannon Pipeline project and cited the risk of judicial review and CPO-related delays as major cost drivers. This pipeline will require CPOs to proceed and under the current system, that process is too slow and too uncertain.

“This legislation would directly assist projects like the Shannon Pipeline by streamlining the CPO process, providing legal clarity, and reducing timelines — making it easier to deliver the infrastructure we need at national scale.

“We cannot afford more delays. CPOs should be a modern tool to solve modern challenges. This Bill will support faster housing delivery, unlock vacant buildings, and help us build the infrastructure Ireland needs for the future. It’s time to bring CPO reform back to the top of the Government’s agenda.

“Local authorities can CPO premises under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, but there is a need to improve the process and I know this will also require a significant body of work by the Department of Justice”.