The national commercial vacancy rate increased in the second quarter, but only by the marginal amount of one-tenth of a percentage point, according to the latest report from EY.

Out of a total commercial property stock  in Ireland of 211,740 units, 28,830 were classified as vacant in June 2021.  The overall vacancy rate of 13.6% was up by that thin margin on the previous year’s figure of 13.5%, according to the GeoView Commercial Vacancy Rates Report.

In Dublin, the rate remained unchanged from June 2020 at 12.2%, with variations among the Dublin postcodes. At 6.5%, Dublin 15 recorded the lowest commercial vacancy rate in the capital, while Dublin 9 had the highest rate at 16.4%.  

GeoDirectory chief executive Dara Keogh said: “There still appears to be a very prominent gap in economic activity on the east coast compared to the west coast and this is something which will need to be addressed on a policy level.”

The lowest provincial commercial vacancy rate was in Leinster, with an average of 12.7%. At 10.3% each, Meath and Wexford were the counties with the lowest commercial vacancy rates in the province and country.  

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The rate in Munster (13.5%) was just below the national average, with a vacancy rate of 12.2% recorded in Cork.

The highest commercial vacancy rates were in Connacht — 17.2%. The four counties with the highest commercial vacancy rates in the country were all located in Connacht — Sligo 20.0%, Roscommon 17.3%, Leitrim 17.2% and Mayo at 17.0%.  

Greystones in Co Wicklow held onto the title for lowest vacancy rate once again, at 7%, followed by Gorey in Wexford at 7.8% and Carrigaline in Cork at 8.8%.

At the other end of the spectrum, Co Donegal’s Ballybofey had the highest vacancy rate in Ireland at 29.3%, with Edenderry, Edgeworthstown, Kilrush and Ballina all showing vacancy rates exceeding 25%.

GeoDirectory was established by An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland to create and manage Ireland’s only complete database of commercial and residential buildings. The figures are recorded through a combination of An Post’s network of 5,600 delivery staff and OSI. The full report can be downloaded here.