Ireland's social housing crisis deepens as costs soar and vacancies persist in 2024

Skyrocketing maintenance bills and painfully slow re-letting times expose the cracks in Ireland's housing system. Why are so many homes still sitting empty?

, and Administrator

2026 March 27 . 10:02 AM

1 min read

The image shows a building with boarded up windows and a sign on the side of it that reads... — The image shows a building with boarded up windows and a sign on the side of it that reads "Affordable Housing". There are stairs with railings leading up to the building, and a road at the bottom of the image.

New figures reveal the costs and challenges of managing social housing in Ireland during 2024. Local authorities spent over €282 million on maintenance, while re-letting vacant units took an average of 35 weeks. Despite efforts, thousands of homes remained empty by the end of the year. A total of €282,286,380.98 was spent on housing maintenance across the country in 2024. Cork County saw the sharpest rise, with costs jumping 109% to €1,422.55 per unit.

Re-letting vacant properties also came at a high price. Authorities spent €105,084,976.65 to prepare 3,375 units for new tenants, averaging €31,136.29 per home. The process took 35.36 weeks on average, though Galway City faced the longest delays at 48.83 weeks. By December 2024, 4,251 social housing units stood vacant nationwide. While the overall vacancy rate dropped slightly from 2.81% in 2023 to 2.75%, 14 local authorities still exceeded this average. Laois, Wexford, and Westmeath recorded the lowest vacancy rates. Dublin City led in retrofitting, completing 408 homes during the year.

The data highlights both progress and persistent issues in social housing management. Maintenance spending rose sharply in some areas, while re-letting delays and vacancy rates varied widely between regions. The figures will likely inform future policy decisions on housing efficiency and funding.