James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy's question was about plans to investigate the rate of home vacancy around the country, and that is the question I will answer. Data on vacant properties is available from a number of sources, such as the Central Statistics Office, data from census 2022 and GeoDirectory. My Department has been engaging with the national statistical institute, the Central Statistics Office, which has recently developed a new statistical release on residential vacancy. The release, published in September, provides information on the extent of residential vacancy in 2022 and 2023, using ESB data on residential electricity consumption, with future regular publications planned. In the release, the CSO notes a national vacancy rate of 3.3% at the end of 2023, down from 3.6% at the end of 2022. Local authority and local electoral level breakdowns are also included. Similarly, the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, for quarter 2 of 2025, recorded that the average vacancy rate across Ireland had dropped to 3.7%, which is the lowest rate recorded since 2013.

The Government has introduced a range of initiatives and funding mechanisms in recent years and these measures are proving successful in reducing the levels of vacancy and dereliction nationwide. One such measure, the compulsory purchase orders, 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. As part of this programme, almost all local authorities now have a database of vacant and derelict properties identified within settlements in their administrative area that can be used to engage with property owners. The Government's commitment to addressing vacancy and dereliction, and actions in the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, will continue to play a vital role in bringing these properties into use as new homes across the country.

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