Louth has the highest vacancy rate for new buildings in the country at 26%, according to new figures from GeoDirectory.
The new data from the An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland-backed organisation found that more than one in four new buildings built in the Wee County last year were lying idle.
This was double the national average of 13%, which was still higher than European norms.
New buildings relate to commercial and residential buildings that were built from scratch last year. This amounts to 81 new buildings lying idle, with a further 35 still under construction as of December 31st last.
Despite the high vacancy rate, GeoDirectory found that new builds in the county last year were down just 3% – the lowest level of decline in the country after Dublin, which was the only county to see an increase in the number of buildings last year.
There were 308 new buildings built in Louth last year. This included 258 residential properties, 44 commercial properties and 6 dual purpose buildings – bringing the total number of buildings in Louth to 51,924.
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