One of the Donegal's main seaside resorts is considering taxing owners of derelict property in a bid to retain tourists.
Bundoran has a list of 13 buildings whose owners could be charged 3 per cent of the market value every year unless they tidy them up. That would mean a "dereliction" tax of up to €7,500 a year on properties with an average estimated value of €250,000.
Town council chairman Tighearnan Brady said yesterday it has the power to impose the penalties under measures introduced by the Government. He plans on asking the council to agree to charge the tax by the new year.
He said offenders received several notices during the year and some owners cleaned up their properties. But other unsightly buildings remain untouched by owners, many of whom live across the border in Northern Ireland.
Mr Brady said they were "sitting" on the properties, simply waiting for the value to increase, and making no positive contribution to the town.
One house easily visible to visitors was in such a neglected state that the authorities had to send in specialists to rid it of rats.
Mr Brady noted that the Tidy Town contest commended Bundoran for achieving high marks. "They were very complimentary about how clean Bundoran is despite the great numbers of day visitors who don't care what they leave behind. We'll take the kudos where we get them.
"But there are problems with derelict buildings. We're going to have to look at how we tackle this.
"If people insist on leaving their houses derelict in a town like Bundoran that is so dependent on tourism and so dependent on projecting a good image then we may have to put in place a derelict tax on sites that refuse to develop.
He added: "We will have to find some financial incentive to encourage people who have refused to do anything with their sites.
"We have to encourage them to make sure that Bundoran can project the type of image that we need to project in a town that's 100 per cent dependent on tourism."