I always thought they had some kind of power to seize stuff that they just never used? A lot of the abandonment that goes on is developers buying up stuff piecemeal over years, then actually developing only when they have a large parcel of land. If I understand it right that's what happened up around the Bleeding Horse back in the dayit's about time the councils were given the power/political support to seize derelict properties; make them safe, and then sell them on the open market. if the original owner has a problem, they get the proceeds of the sale from the council, minus the cost of the works to make them safe, and a €50,000 handling fee for the council.