At the end of 2022 there were still over 70 ‘ghost’ housing estates in Ireland, left unfinished following the 2008 financial crash.

As the housing crisis worsens and the government introduces measures to reduce vacant or derelict properties, ghost estates are caught between developers and council planners on what to do with them.

Our team will map the remaining unfinished estates and find out if anything is being done to make them habitable.

WHAT YOUR FUNDING SUPPORTS

The number of ghost estates is down from a high of almost 3,000 in 2010 but there are still a high number of vacant houses across Ireland.

According to the Department of Housing, there were 40 entirely unoccupied estates and 35 were partially occupied in 2022.

Experts say that estates remain unfinished for a number of reasons - financial issues, planning disputes or land ownership problems. Our team will dive into the main causes and find out what can be done.

The government has introduced taxes and levies in a bid to make more housing available. investigate whether developers are being asked to pay these, and in cases of exemptions, we will find out why.

The investigation will also examine some success stories, reporting on ghost estates that are now home to communities.

Want to see this investigation happen? Click the 'Fund This Proposal' button.

You can contact us at [email protected] and find out how we work here. Our investigations are sourced from and crowdfunded by the public.