LIMERICK city has the lowest rate of ghost estates in the country, according to the recently launched 2012 National Housing Development Survey. Along with Waterford city, Limerick has a rate of just two vacant units per 1,000 households with a total of 53 vacant units. While the number of vacant units was significantly higher in the county at 289, it still had one of the lowest rates at six households per 1,000. Leitrim had the highest rate of vacant units in the country with 35 per 1,000 households.
The 2012 National Housing Development Survey, which has been tracking the extent and condition of unfinished housing developments since 2010, was launched this week by Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan.
The study found that nationally there has been a decrease of 37 per cent in the number of unfinished developments and a 27 per cent decrease in the number of vacant units since 2010.
Minister O’Sullivan said that the issue of local authorities taking in charge those developments that were substantially completed was a priority.
“Over the past two years more than 1,200 developments have been substantially completed. The next immediate priority is for developers, funders and local authorities to work together in finalising the process of having the developments taken in charge by the local authority.”
The Labour Party Minister and Limerick city TD noted that “steady progress” has been made in relation to unfinished housing developments, however she acknowledged that “hundreds of families are still enduring the stress and strain of living on an unfinished development.”
There are 1,770 developments which still remain unfinished throughout the country.
In Limerick city, there are seven developments which are officially classed as unfinished, the total for Limerick county is 35 while Bruachlan in Westbury and Carrig Midhe in Corbally are also categorised as unfinished.
