Most Derelict Properties in Ireland Not on Official Registers, RTÉ Investigates Finds

RTÉ Investigates analyzed national and local authority data, alongside on-the-ground reporting, revealing that most derelict properties in Ireland are not subject to enforcement because they are not on official registers. There is no official national measure or settled definition of dereliction in Ireland, leading to varied approaches by councils.

As an example, 56 Main Street in Arklow, Co Wicklow, a former pub with a partially collapsed roof, is not on Wicklow County Council's derelict sites register, which has only two entries. Nadia Ramoutar, an Arklow resident, expressed frustration over such derelict buildings, stating they convey a message of neglect.

GeoDirectory, owned by An Post and Tailte Éireann, provides national data on residential dereliction, though it excludes commercial buildings and uses a different definition than the Derelict Sites Act. As of Q2 2025, GeoDirectory identified nearly 20,000 derelict housing units nationwide, while local authority registers contained only about 2,300 entries.

Housing dereliction is more prevalent along the western seaboard. However, counties with high dereliction rates, like Donegal, often have low rates of registered derelict sites. Conversely, Waterford, with lower housing dereliction, is more active in registering sites. Mayo and Limerick were the most active counties in 2025, with 21 and 20 registered derelict sites per 10,000 people, respectively.

Unmet housing need, measured by social housing waiting lists, is higher in urban eastern counties such as Dublin, Louth, Kildare, and Wicklow, which generally have lower housing dereliction rates. Katie Touhey, 22, from Westmeath, highlights the housing crisis, living with her two children and family in a three-bedroom house, unable to afford private accommodation despite Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).