Council social housing stock at 4,719 units

Meath County Council added 369 new units to its housing stock last year bringing the total number of social homes in its ownership to 4,719.

Figures published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in its Local Authority Performance Indicator Report 2025 show that 2.39 per cent of Meath County Council's stock was vacant on the 31st December last, which is slightly below the national figure of 2.44 per cent. Figures also show that Meath County Council sold 14 of its own dwellings last year.

The average expenditure on maintenance of each local authority house was €1,168.79. This figure is based on total expenditure on housing maintenance divided by the total number of units in the council's own stock on 31st December.

The average time taken for the date of vacating a house to it being re-let in Meath last year was 34.6 weeks, longer than the national figure which stood at 32.08 weeks. The report also reveals that the average cost of getting a home to the standard where it can be re-let was €22,206.18. This figure is arrived at by taking the total amount spent on preparing houses for re-tenanting, across all dwellings re-let during 2025. Some homes would require a lot of work, while others would require less and the figure is an average across all houses.

The total number of houses retrofitted last year under the Housing Retrofit Programme was 60, which all ahcieved a BER rating of B2 or above and heat pumps were installed in all these houses. The total annual energy savings from the retrofitting of these houses is 754.8MWH, while the reduction of carbon emissions is estimated at 200.6

The report also reveals that 68.52 per cent of all adults in emergency accommodation are long-term, over six months.

Meanwhile, the total number of registered tenancies in the Meath area was 8,075 last year and the total number of dwellings inspected was 2,907.

A staggering 93.59 per cent of dwellings inspected were not compliant with regulations on first inspection. By the end of 2025, 1,004 of the dwellings were deemed to be compliant. This figure includes those that would have been originally deemed non-compliant but subsequently met the standards.

Altogether, Meath Co Council carried out 4,335 inspections (including reinspections) in 2025.

The Local Authority Performance Indicator Report also looked at local authorities performance in terms of roads among other areas. It found that 99 per cent of regional roads in the county had received a Pavement Surface Condition Index (PSCI) rating in the two year period up to the end of last year, with 50 per cent receiving a rating of 9-10 (excellent/good); 29 per cent had a rating of 7-8; 13 per cent had a rating of 5-6 and 6.81 per cent were given a rating of 1-4.

A total of 41.57 per cent for local primary roads had received a PCSI rating in the two year period, with 27 per cent receiving the top rating of 9-10; eight per cent had a rating of 7-8, one per cent received a rating of 5-6 and five per cent had the poor rating of 1-4.

Some 40.29 per cent of local secondary roads received a rating - this equated to 27 per cent receiving top grade of 9-10; 7 per cent given a 7-8 rating; one per cent at 5-6 and five per cent at the lowest rating of 1-4.

The number of local tertiary roads that received a PCSI rating in the five years up to the end of 2025 was 92.31 per cent- this equated to 34 per cent getting top grade, 37 per cent getting a rating of 7-8, 11 per cent got 5-6 and 10 per cent at 1-4 rating.

A total of 18km of regional road were strengthened during 2025 at a cost of almost €7m. A further 13.4km of regional road were resealed at a cost of €554,000.

Some 97km of local roads were strengthened during 2025 at a cost of €15.5m, with 129km resealed at a cost of €3.1m.

The report also found that almost 92 per cent of motor tax renewals in Meath last year were done online.