Over half of Louth's social housing need in Dundalk, figures reveal

Dundalk Municipal District accounts for 55% of the county’s housing waiting list. There are 2,627 households waiting in Dundalk out of 4,717 countywide. Dundalk has more than 1,100 additional applicants compared with Drogheda. A councillor said the need is concentrated in Dundalk and urged the local authority to ensure families are not disadvantaged by long waiting times. New social housing has been launched in Dundalk, and the council is expected to exceed its 2026 housing target. The councillor called for greater focus on delivering more social housing in Dundalk during the next planning phase. The housing senior executive officer said the council is responding across Louth and noted lower numbers in Drogheda due to major building linked to the PANCR area, with projects in Dundalk expected to reduce waiting lists soon.

"Cllr. Marianne Butler told a recent meeting of Dundalk Municipal District that the area now accounts for 55% of the county's housing list. Referring to Louth County Council's latest monthly housing report, she said there are 2,627 households on the waiting list in the Dundalk Municipal District, out of a countywide total of 4,717. She added that Dundalk has more than 1,100 additional applicants compared to Drogheda."

""The need is really here in Dundalk," Cllr. Butler said, urging the local authority to ensure families in the area are not disadvantaged due to the length of the waiting list. She welcomed the recent launch of new social housing in Dundalk, and acknowledged the council are set to exceed their housing target for 2026, but called for a greater focus on providing more social housing in the Dundalk area."

""When we go into planning the next phase of housing, the need is here. We need the delivery in Dundalk. We're way ahead but we need to stay ahead," she said. Responding, Anthony O'Donoghue, Senior Executive Officer for Housing, said the council is working to respond to the housing need across Louth."

"He noted that housing numbers are currently lower in Drogheda due to a "huge amount of building" linked to development in the PANCR (Port Access Northern Cross Route) area. Mr. O'Donoghue added that a number of housing projects are due to come on stream in Dundalk in the near future, which he said "should bring the numbers down." Louth County Council recently unveiled the first phase of over 90 new housing units at Fulacht Fia, Mount Avenue, Dundalk."

Read at Irish Independent