Westmeath has critical shortage of houses

Westmeath is one of a number of counties in which there is “a critical shortage” of available housing stock, according to the estate agency firm Sherry FitzGerald’s latest bi-annual analysis.

Nationally, the figure fell to a new historic low in January 2025, when just 10,380 second-hand properties were listed for sale nationwide, representing a mere 0.5% of Ireland’s private housing stock.

This marks a stark decline from 54,120 available properties, when data collection began in January 2010, according to Sherry Fitzgerald.

In January 2020, approximately 20,330 second-hand homes were available for purchase.

“Since January 2020, the number of second-hand homes listed for sale has fallen by over 60% in counties such as Leitrim, Tipperary, Clare, and Westmeath,” said Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Sherry FitzGerald, who said this trend is “concerning”.

In the year since January 2024, she continued, there had been sharp declines in advertised stock compared to January 2024. That decline measured 30.1 per cent in Leitrim, 21.5 per cent in Waterford and 19.8 per cent in Tipperary.

Ms Finnegan said the acute shortage of available housing continues to deepen the imbalance between supply and demand in Ireland, exacerbating challenges for individuals and families seeking suitable homes – and, she added, this shortage was particularly pronounced in regional and rural Ireland.

Criticising the fact that 2024’s new dwelling completions fell short of expectations, with just 30,300 new homes delivered to the market, half of which were in Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, Ms Finnegan said Ireland’s growing population requires significant and evenly distributed housing development across all regions.

Continuing, she was also critical of the fact that there is a shortage of homes in lower price categories, with just 1,775 properties available nationwide costing less than €200,000.

In conclusion, Ms Finnegan welcomed the renewed focus on the housing crisis by the new government, stating: "Addressing this unprecedented housing shortage requires a collaborative effort across all sectors. Urgent, strategic action is needed to ensure the delivery of sustainable housing solutions that meet the diverse needs of our population, across all regions."