COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 08, 2010
QUESTION NO.11
QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney
To ask the Manager to prepare and provide a report on the number of vacant housing units in the area of South Dublin County Council, broken down by accommodation type, size of development and Local Electoral Area?
REPLY:
With respect to residential vacancy rates, the most recent data for the County broken down by electoral area is contained within the Census 2006. The results of which are set out in the table below. Accomadation type or size of development is not collated with respect to dwelling occupancy. The Council does collate infromation on new residential development in the County which does include dwelling type. Given the comprehensive nature of the data collection for the census it is considered that this gives the most detailed and realiable data on residential vacancy rates at a sub county level. In overall County terms the 2006 vacancy rate of 7.8% is lower than the average Greater Dublin vacancy rate of 9.9% which in turn was lower than the overall national average. When considering residential vacancy it must be bourne in mind that a percentage of the dwelling stock will be vacant at any one time regardless of the prevailing market conditions.
Recent work carried out for the review of the Regional Planning Guidelines has calculated that an appropriate level of vacancy within the housing stock is 6.5%. This vacancy level reflects the need for the market to operate efficently and reflects a normal turnover of dwellings. This figure has been chosen on the basis of research drawing on experiences within the EU and USA. The vacancy rate of 6.5% includes an obselence factor of 0.5% per annum, which could be considered as in the lower part of the range but reflects the fact that almost 40% of the housing stock in the State is under 10 years old. South Dublin is considered to be in line with this oblselence factor given that the bulk of the housing stock is under 40 years old.
In considering sub county statisics caution should be excercised with the percentage figures. These can vary widely depending on the total number of units in each electoral district. Furthermore while vacancy levels do vary over the County some of this variation may be as a result of census itself. This is carried out on a single night in the case of the 2006 census, a Sunday night, which may have resulted in people who return to places outside Dublin during the weekend but reside in South Dublin during the week not being counted in the South Dublin totals.
Annual house counts are carried out by the Planning Department in respect of new residential build in the County but occupancy is not reflected in these counts as it would not be possible to carry out the level of comprehensive data collection detailed above carried out by the Census.
| Table 1 Occupancy status 2006 | Occupied | % Occupied | Unoccupied | % Unoccupied | Total housing |
| Electoral District (ED) | |||||
| 001 Ballinascorney | 262 | 88.2% | 35 | 11.8% | 297 |
| 002 Ballyboden | 1,623 | 94.0% | 104 | 6.0% | 1,727 |
| 003 Bohernabreena | 1,333 | 92.8% | 103 | 7.2% | 1,436 |
| 004 Clondalkin-Ballymount | 587 | 93.0% | 44 | 7.0% | 631 |
| 005 Clondalkin-Cappaghmore | 532 | 96.2% | 21 | 3.8% | 553 |
| 006 Clondalkin-Dunawley | 3,399 | 90.0% | 377 | 10.0% | 3,776 |
| 007 Clondalkin-Monastery | 3,451 | 88.7% | 439 | 11.3% | 3,890 |
| 008 Clondalkin-Moorfield | 1,782 | 92.0% | 155 | 8.0% | 1,937 |
| 009 Clondalkin-Rowlagh | 1,235 | 95.5% | 58 | 4.5% | 1,293 |
| 010 Clondalkin Village | 2,949 | 91.8% | 263 | 8.2% | 3,212 |
| 011 Edmondstown | 1,812 | 94.2% | 112 | 5.8% | 1,924 |
| 012 Firhouse-Ballycullen | 1,996 | 94.4% | 119 | 5.6% | 2,115 |
| 013 Firhouse-Knocklyon | 1,238 | 96.0% | 51 | 4.0% | 1,289 |
| 014 Firhouse Village | 3,575 | 92.8% | 276 | 7.2% | 3,851 |
| 015 Lucan-Esker | 8,585 | 92.9% | 655 | 7.1% | 9,240 |
| 016 Lucan Heights | 1,835 | 92.6% | 146 | 7.4% | 1,981 |
| 017 Lucan-St. Helen's | 2,137 | 86.8% | 324 | 13.2% | 2,461 |
| 018 Newcastle | 812 | 89.7% | 93 | 10.3% | 905 |
| 019 Palmerston Village | 1,425 | 94.4% | 84 | 5.6% | 1,509 |
| 020 Palmerston West | 2,072 | 90.5% | 218 | 9.5% | 2,290 |
| 021 Rathcoole | 1,253 | 88.6% | 161 | 11.4% | 1,414 |
| 022 Rathfarnham-Ballyroan | 940 | 92.6% | 75 | 7.4% | 1,015 |
| 023 Rathfarnham-Butterfield | 1,238 | 92.3% | 103 | 7.7% | 1,341 |
| 024 Rathfarnham-Hermitage | 1,539 | 90.6% | 159 | 9.4% | 1,698 |
| 025 Rathfarnham-St. Enda's | 1,381 | 93.3% | 99 | 6.7% | 1,480 |
| 026 Rathfarnham Village | 1,220 | 88.3% | 162 | 11.7% | 1,382 |
| 027 Saggart | 989 | 76.0% | 313 | 24.0% | 1,302 |
| 028 Tallaght-Avonbeg | 545 | 98.0% | 11 | 2.0% | 556 |
| 029 Tallaght-Belgard | 536 | 95.2% | 27 | 4.8% | 563 |
| 030 Tallaght-Fettercairn | 1,854 | 94.5% | 107 | 5.5% | 1,961 |
| 031 Tallaght-Glenview | 439 | 92.6% | 35 | 7.4% | 474 |
| 032 Tallaght-Jobstown | 4,132 | 92.3% | 346 | 7.7% | 4,478 |
| 033 Tallaght-Killinardan | 1,194 | 97.1% | 36 | 2.9% | 1,230 |
| 034 Tallaght-Kilnamanagh | 1,505 | 96.0% | 63 | 4.0% | 1,568 |
| 035 Tallaght-Kiltipper | 2,147 | 92.7% | 169 | 7.3% | 2,316 |
| 036 Tallaght-Kingswood | 1,234 | 95.7% | 56 | 4.3% | 1,290 |
| 037 Tallaght-Millbrook | 1,257 | 94.6% | 72 | 5.4% | 1,329 |
| 038 Tallaght-Oldbawn | 1,365 | 95.5% | 64 | 4.5% | 1,429 |
| 039 Tallaght-Springfield | 2,295 | 84.4% | 424 | 15.6% | 2,719 |
| 040 Tallaght-Tymon | 1,722 | 93.8% | 113 | 6.2% | 1,835 |
| 041 Templeogue-Cypress | 969 | 94.7% | 54 | 5.3% | 1,023 |
| 042 Templeogue-Kimmage Manor | 1,508 | 92.9% | 115 | 7.1% | 1,623 |
| 043 Templeogue-Limekiln | 1,271 | 94.5% | 74 | 5.5% | 1,345 |
| 044 Templeogue-Orwell | 732 | 94.6% | 42 | 5.4% | 774 |
| 045 Templeogue-Osprey | 817 | 95.1% | 42 | 4.9% | 859 |
| 046 Templeogue Village | 807 | 89.6% | 94 | 10.4% | 901 |
| 047 Terenure-Cherryfield | 876 | 93.6% | 60 | 6.4% | 936 |
| 048 Terenure-Greentrees | 1,118 | 94.3% | 68 | 5.7% | 1,186 |
| 049 Terenure-St. James | 1,094 | 96.0% | 46 | 4.0% | 1,140 |
| Lucan Electoral Area | 16,054 | 91.8% | 1,427 | 8.2% | 17,481 |
| Clondalkin Electoral Area | 16,402 | 89.7% | 1,880 | 10.3% | 18,282 |
| Tallaght Central Electoral Area | 19,364 | 93.0% | 1,464 | 7.0% | 20,828 |
| Tallaght South Electoral Area | 15,810 | 93.4% | 1,112 | 6.6% | 16,922 |
| Rathfarnham Electoral Area | 12,987 | 93.0% | 984 | 7.0% | 13,971 |
| South Dublin Total | 80,617 | 92.2% | 6,867 | 7.8% | 87,484 |