A new report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has shown that throughout the last three months of 2021, the vacancy rate for dwellings based on metered electricity consumption was 4.3%, meaning that thousands of homes are laying empty around the country.
The report looked at metered electricity consumption of dwellings from data provided by the ESB Networks, using that information to identify what dwellings can be assumed to be vacant through particularly low levels of consumption over a period of at least four consecutive quarters.
Findings from the CSO showed that within quarter four of 2021, the vacancy rate in Ireland for dwellings based on metered electricity consumption was 4.3%.
READ MORE: We spent the day with Garda teams in Dublin as they tackle drug dealers using teens as lookouts
In Dublin, 2.3% of dwellings in quarter four of 2021 were vacant, compared with 5.1% in the rest of Ireland.
However, nationally, vacancy rates have fallen from 4.9% at the start of the series in quarter one 2016 to the current 4.3%. Despite any national drop there has been a slight increase in Dublin, where the rate has risen from 1.9% to 2.3%.
Leitrim was the Local Authority with the highest vacancy rate at 10.6% in quarter four of 2021, followed by Roscommon (9.5%) and Mayo (8.7%). The lowest vacancy rates were in South Dublin (1.4%), Fingal (1.9%) and Kildare (1.9%).
Swinford in Mayo was the Local Electoral Area (LEA) with the highest percentage of vacant dwellings in the last quarter of 2021 (12.2%), while the lowest was in Leixlip, Kildare and Tallaght Central, Dublin (both 0.7%).
The vacancy rate for rural areas (7.5%) was more than double the rate in urban areas (2.9%) in quarter four of 2021.
The vacancy rate for apartments was 3.7% at the same point, 3.2% for detached houses, 2.9% for terraced houses, and 1.8% for semi-detached houses.
Responding to the report, Social Democrats housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan said, in a statement: “The fact that an estimated 4.3% of homes in Ireland are vacant is a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of people who are in dire need of housing. Shamefully, there are several electoral divisions with a vacancy rate of well over 20%.
“Particularly concerning is that in Dublin, where the need for housing is most acute, the vacancy rate has actually grown since 2016. This would be unacceptable at any time. However, in the midst of a housing crisis, it is utterly unforgivable.
“A vacancy rate of 4.3% represents tens of thousands of homes lying empty while 11,632 people are living in emergency homeless accommodation.
“The figures released today provide a conservative estimate of the levels of vacancy. The CSO only counted vacant homes that have an active ESB connection, which many empty properties don’t have."
READ NEXT:
- RTE Room to Improve viewers left impressed and jealous of one unusual feature to dry clothes
- John Gilligan 'hopping mad' as old pal takes €100,000 from his Spanish bolthole
- Irish people fuming after The 1975's Matty Healy says they are 'simple people' at Dublin 3Arena gig
- You could get sky high electricity bill if you use these two appliances between 5pm and 7pm
- Galway pub sees hundreds queue, as drink slashed to super cheap prices
To get the latest news, sport and showbiz headlines, visit our homepage
