Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
775. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant homes broken down by each local authority over the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41581/22]
View answerThe preliminary findings of Census 2022 provided a figure of 166,752 vacant homes nationwide. This represents 7.8% of the housing stock. Studies suggest a properly functioning housing market will have a base vacancy rate and it is suggested that this rate is around 6%. The Census 2022 figures represent a 9% reduction overall on the Census 2016 vacant homes figure of approximately 183,000. The figure should not be used as a proxy for the number of long-term vacant dwellings. The figure is a point-in-time indicator of whether a property was inhabited or not on Census night.
My Department does not currently have a record of vacant homes in each county. The preliminary analysis of the Local Property Tax (LPT) 2022 indicates that levels of vacancy amongst liable properties are low across all counties and lie within the range that is considered to be in line with a functioning housing market. The data also indicates that many of the reasons given for vacancy are genuine and acceptable reasons for temporary vacancy, for example, where a property is for sale, between lettings, undergoing refurbishment, where the property is subject to a probate application or other legal proceedings, holiday homes, or in cases where the owner is in long-term care.
A pilot field-based survey across 6 local authorities indicated an average vacancy rate of 2.9%. My Department is currently considering extending this pilot in partnership with all local authorities in order to better understand levels of long term vacancy in each area.
