Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
627. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant homes identified in the Census 2022 and subsequent vacancy estimates; and what actions under Housing for All target these units. [5674/26]
View answerWorking to end dereliction and vacancy is a key priority in the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Plan will ensure that the activities and resources used to address vacancy and dereliction are co-ordinated and that legislative powers are used proactively to work to bring dereliction and vacancy to an end.
Data in relation to vacant properties is available from a number of sources such as the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Census 2022 and GeoDirectory.
Census 2022 provided a figure of 163,433 vacant homes nationwide, which is 7.7% of the housing stock, however, the CSO notes that Census vacancy data should not be used to measure long-term vacancy or the number of properties potentially available for reuse.
The CSO has recently developed a new statistical release on residential vacancy. The release, published on 24 September 2025, provides information on the extent of residential vacancy in 2022 and 2023, using ESB data on metered residential electricity consumption, with future regular publications planned. In the release, the CSO note a national vacancy rate of 3.3% at the end of Q4 2023, down from 3.6% in Q4 2022.
In the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report for Q2 2025, the average vacancy rate across Ireland, as measured, had dropped to 3.7%, the lowest rate recorded since 2013.
The Vacant Homes Action Plan outlines the range of initiatives and funding mechanisms that have been introduced in recent years and these measures are successfully reducing the levels of vacancy and dereliction right across the country.
The measures in Delivering Homes, Building Communities build on the significant work that has been done and outcomes achieved over the past number of years under Housing for All, as well as improving and expanding existing schemes.
One of the key measures in the Plan is enhancing the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. Introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, the grant provides up to €70,000 for the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent.
In December, I announced a new enhanced support package of up to €140,000 to bring vacant ‘above shop’ space in our cities, towns and villages into use as homes, which will be made available by end Q1 this year. I have also announced that additional funding for resources of up to €100,000 per annum would be made available to local authorities to support their work tackling vacancy and dereliction.
The CPO Activation Programme, launched in April 2023, requires a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to identifying vacant and derelict properties and engaging with owners to bring those properties back into use. This includes the active use of compulsory purchase powers by local authorities.
Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), as well as Social Housing Investment Programme funding, is able to provide the finance required to compulsorily acquire properties in support of a local authority’s wider CPO Activation Programme targets. To date, over 1,370 properties have now been approved for URDF Call 3 programmes, potentially resulting in over 5,600 homes. The Housing Finance Agency can also provide funding to local authorities for these acquisitions.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities reinforces and expands the range of measures being implemented by Government to work to end dereliction and long term vacancy.
As well as the new Above the Shop Grant and other measures, a new Derelict Property Tax will be introduced - to be administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners - to bring derelict properties back into use.
I firmly believe the commitment Government has made to addressing vacancy and dereliction and the actions under Delivering Homes, Building Communities will play a vital role in delivering homes across the country.
