The local authorities with the highest percentage of vacant homes were Leitrim, Donegal, Mayo and Roscommon, according to CSO figures. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish TimesMore than 70,000 vacant homes were recorded across the State at the end of 2024, with rural vacancy rates more than twice those of urban areas, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). There was, however, a considerable variation in the rate of vacancy across the State, with a rural vacancy rate of 5.4 per cent and an urban vacancy rate of 2.2 at the end of 2024. The local authorities with the highest percentage of vacant homes were Leitrim (7.8), Donegal (6.3), Mayo (6.0) and Roscommon (5.6). Older homes were more likely to be vacant, with more than 80 per cent of vacant homes built before 2000.

Source: The Irish Times March 24, 2026 17:47 UTC