Dublin is experiencing a serious housing shortage according to the first publication on Ireland's stock of residential properties, commissioned by GeoDirectory.

By cross referencing the Property Price Register (PPR), the CSO Census of Population and the GeoDirectory Database, the report offers new insights into the residential housing density, turnover, development and shortage in the country.

The database found that there were 2,019,639 residential dwellings across the country. This compares with the 2011 Census of Population which reported a total housing stock of 1,994,845 dwellings.

Housing stock relative to the population and households was lowest in Dublin and the surrounding counties. Dublin, which has the largest population and is experiencing a housing shortage at present, had the highest number (888 of households per 1,000 dwellings), followed by Kildare (886) and Meath (872). Waterford had the lowest number of households (453 per 1,000 dwellings), followed by Galway (539) and Limerick (564).

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Dublin had the highest number (1,213) of new property transactions in the country (12.5% of the total Dublin transactions). The Capital also had the highest average transaction price (€320,902) in the country over the 12 months from June 2013 to June 2014 followed by Wicklow (€260,969) and Kildare (€212,470). Cavan had the lowest average transaction price (€69,111), followed by Longford (€71,969) and Roscommon (€75,891) which had the second and third lowest respectively.

A total of 3,640 dwellings were classified as being under construction in the GeoDirectory Database in July 2014. Cork (13.5% of all dwellings under construction in the country), Donegal (12.5%), Galway (6.8%) and Dublin (6.4%) dominated in this area.

Dara Keogh, CEO, GeoDirectory, said: "Using the GeoDirectory database allows for a much clearer picture of the residential property stock in Ireland. The data confirms that high population and lack of stock are all major contributing factors to Dublin's urgent housing needs."

(CD/JP)