Donegal recorded Ireland’s lowest occupancy rate in 2023, new figures show.
The occupancy rate in Donegal stood at 80.1% in December 2023, while the state average is 94.4%.
Donegal’s vacancy rate stood at 9.2% last year, well above the 3.9% state average.
The number of unoccupied homes relates to the number of holiday homes in the county, as Donegal accounts for the highest proportion of total holiday homes in Ireland (24.9%).
A further 2,400 addresses were listed as derelict in Donegal, representing 11.7% of the national figure.
Nationally, there were 81,449 dwellings recorded as vacant in the last quarter of 2024.
710 residential buildings were under construction in Donegal in December 2023, while 613 new address points were recorded, according to the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report.
The report, prepared by EY, found that Dublin and Leinster counties continue to record the highest levels of new construction activity in Ireland.
There were 1,185 residential property transactions in Donegal in the twelve months to October 2023, with an average property price of €197,131.
Commenting on the findings of the GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, Dara Keogh, CEO of GeoDirectory said, “Over the past twelve months we have seen increases in the number of buildings under construction and new residential address points across the State, which is a positive development. The report has also identified a continued drop in the number of vacant and derelict properties, which would indicate that efforts and policies to bring these units into the housing stock are having an impact.”
A copy of the Residential Buildings Report
