A new report commissioned by the Department of the Environment revealed yesterday that there are 2,846 ghost estates in Ireland in which they say, 43,000 houses and apartments are either unfinished or vacant.
The survey found:
- There are 2,846 ghost estates containing some 43,000 unfinished or empty units
- 23,000 units are completed but unoccupied
- A further 20,000 are at various stages of completion
- 8,000 houses have permission but have not been built (why do we want to build more?)
During the boom times when the Tiger was around developers got almost €870m in tax breaks to build thousands of houses that are now lying idle and the Government admitted there was now no money to finish off these so called Ghost Estates. However, Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran and Minister for Planning Ciarán Cuffe announced yesterday the establishment of a “high-level expert group” to devise plans for the “completion or resolution” of 2,800 estates but it may take years before communities see any significant improvement of these eyesores.
Have your say:
- What to do with Ireland’s 2,846 ghost estates? Demolish them or finish them?
- Who is going to occupy / buy them?
