119 Limerick Council homes vacant, some for over 11 years

Urgent action has been called for to return long‑term vacant Council housing to use after data showed 119 homes are currently empty across the Limerick Metropolitan area.

Aontú councillor Sarah Beasley was provided with figures indicating 53 vacant properties in Limerick City North, 35 in City East and 31 in City West. The council’s own data reveal that several homes have been boarded up for four to more than 11 years.

The longest vacancy is a property on Lenihan Avenue, empty for 11 years and five months, with completion not expected until December 2028. Other homes have been empty for five years or more on Hyde Road and Lenihan Avenue, and over four years on Clancy Strand, Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Cliona Park and Oliver Plunkett Street.

Of the 119 units, the council says 73 are vacant. Some have recently been acquired by the local authority or lie within designated regeneration areas and are eligible for capital funding under programmes such as SHIP Renew, SHIP LA‑Led Buy and Renew, and Estate‑Wide Regeneration Works. Funding applications must first be approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

While a few properties are slated for completion within weeks, 44 have no confirmed date and are listed as “to be confirmed”. Others are not expected to return to use until 2027, 2028 or, in one case, June 2029.

Cllr Beasley urged the council and the Department of Housing to accelerate funding approvals and refurbishment so that vacant homes can be brought back into use promptly, stressing the need for clear targets and faster turnaround times.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Gonzalo Facello / Pexels.