More than 2,100 empty social homes were restored to use last year, according to new figures released by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD. In total, 2,188 properties were reactivated in 2025 through the Voids Programme.

The programme funds local authorities to refurbish and re‑let empty dwellings and forms part of wider efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction so that unused properties are returned to the housing system.

The overall number of voids fell for a third consecutive year in 2025, reflecting a continued shift by local authorities to a planned maintenance model. This approach enables faster repairs, reduces downtime and speeds up re‑letting, helping to keep properties in continuous use and occupancy more stable.

Commenting on the figures, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said: "Whether housing is publicly owned or privately owned, leaving homes vacant is simply not acceptable, so I welcome these figures. Even though we are delivering more social homes than at any point in a generation, demand remains strong. Therefore, allowing properties to sit unoccupied is a missed opportunity we can't afford.

-- Advertisement --

"It is also positive to see the continued progress of actively shifting to a planned maintenance approach for our social housing stock as we can see from the lower numbers again this year.

"Minimising the time it takes to re-let properties leading to more consistent occupancy and shorter turnaround time is an essential element in addressing the demand for social housing. Local authorities are clearly making strong progress in this area and I expect this to continue in 2026.

"Beyond expanding social housing, quick refurbishment of vacant properties is also critical to regeneration and improving the vibrancy of communities in towns and cities across the country."

Between 2020 and 2025, 15,365 homes were returned to active use with funding of over €213 million under the Voids Programme. Since the scheme began in 2014, €385 million has been spent to bring a total of 27,860 homes back into active use.

In 2025, local authorities received over €24 million for voids works. The programme also provided €6.88 million towards ongoing planned maintenance payments and stock condition surveys to help speed up turnarounds.

A breakdown of funding by local authority and the number of properties returned to use since 2014 is available here: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/0c0f272b/Voids_Expenditure_2014_-_2025.xlsx