Tralee has highest number of HAP properties in Munster

New data from the Central Statistics Office has found that the number of active HAP properties in the State was 60,747 on 31 December 2021.

The data has found that there were more than 500 HAP properties in 38 of the 166 Local Electoral Areas at the end of 2021. File picture

A town in Co Kerry has been listed as the Local Electoral Area (LEA) with the highest number of Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) properties in Munster.

Tralee had 898 HAP properties up to the end of 2021.

New data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has found that the number of active HAP properties in the State was 60,747 on 31 December 2021.

The figure is an increase of 4.5% on the same date in 2020.

The data has found that there were more than 500 HAP properties in 38 of the 166 Local Electoral Areas at the end of 2021.

In 14 LEAs, there were less than 100 HAP properties while half of the LEAs had an increase in the number of HAP properties between 2020 and 2021.

North Inner City in Dublin is the LEA with the most HAP properties with 1,586.

This is followed by Dundalk South (1,216), Clondalkin (1,116), and Tallaght Central (1,077).

Granard in Longford had the lowest number of HAP properties (40).

In Munster, Tralee had the highest number of HAP properties, followed by Limerick City West (824), Tramore-Waterford City West (717) and Midleton in Co Cork (654).

In Cork, Cork City North West (651), Cork City North East (591) and Mallow (541) followed Midelton with the highest number of HAP properties.

Justin Anderson, a CSO statistician, stated: "Half of the LEAs which have 500 or more HAP properties registered are in Dublin.

"However, there was also a geographical spread of LEAs with 500 or more HAP properties in 2021 across 11 other counties including Donegal, Galway, and Kerry."

He added: "There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of HAP properties listed across half of all LEAs from 2020 to 2021 and in more than 90% of LEAs from 2019 to 2020."

Meanwhile, the LEA with the largest percentage change from 2020 to 2021 was South East Inner City in Dublin where there was a 49% increase in the number of HAP properties.

The biggest percentage fall was 18% in Carrickmacross-Castleblayney in Monaghan. There were 18 LEAs with a more than 16% increase between these years, which were all in Dublin.

Kenmare in Co Kerry had the largest year-on-year percentage change of HAP properties with 12.8% in Munster while Ennistimon in Co Clare had the largest percentage fall (-9%).

Mr Andreson added: "When looking at the number of HAP properties as a percentage of all residential properties in an LEA, Drogheda Urban and Tallaght Central had the highest both at 7.9% at the end of 2021.

"When looking at this just as a percentage of the RTB properties in the area, there were four LEAs - Arklow in Wicklow, Palmerstown-Fonthill in Dublin, Dundalk-Carlingford in Louth, and Kilrush in Clare - where this was greater than 45%."