During the Great Famine of the 1840s, one of the worst insults hurled in Connemara was ‘meal monger,’ a term to describe a gombeen who stored grain during starvation periods as prices soared.
And now Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell has used similar slurs against property speculators, sitting on buildings that can be lived in during a housing crisis, likening them to hoarding food during a famine.
“I am contacted every single day by people who see empty homes in their communities. They see them fall into disrepair, and often they contact me because they, or someone they love, does not have access to secure and affordable accommodation. Leaving homes to rot in a housing crisis is akin to hoarding food in a famine,” she said.
The Sinn Féin TD’s comments come as Central Statistics Office (CSO ) data for the final four months of 2024 indicates 4,170 homes were vacant across Galway city and county, making up almost one-in-20 of the empty houses across the state. It is unclear how many are privately-owned holiday homes, but analysis of CSO data in 2022 suggests there could be almost 1,500 such properties across Galway, some of which may be subject to Vacant Homes Tax (VHT ) if under-occupied each year.
“Just 144 homes were self-assessed as liable for the Vacant Homes Tax in 2025 in Galway, despite the CSO identifying 4,170 homes that are potentially liable for this tax,” said Farrell.
“Statewide, the CSO has identified over 70,000 vacant homes, but only 2,361 were self-assessed as liable for the VHT in 2025.”
Vacant Homes Tax is an annual charge levied on habitable properties used as a dwelling for fewer than 30 days in 12 months. It is self-assessed, and there are several exemptions, including properties where the owner has recently died, or is ill recuperating elsewhere; houses advertised for sale or rent; houses undergoing structural works; homes in probate, or subject to court orders.
The annual charge is set at seven times the property’s annual Local Property Tax rate, and a surcharge of up to 10 per cent of the bill may be levied if payment is late. It was first introduced by Fine Gael in 2023, by then-Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and is due every November 1.
“While some [houses] may not be eligible, we know that there are speculators and landhoarders laughing all the way to the bank, because of the weak actions of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael,” says Farrell.
“The Vacant Homes Tax is a failure. That is the reality. There is no excuse for tens of thousands of potentially liable [owners] not paying this tax.
“The government is all carrot, and no stick. They do not believe in penalising those who leave homes to rot in our communities, because they are more interested in tax breaks for developers and speculators.
“We need to see a Vacant Homes Tax with teeth. Families in Galway deserve better. They deserve homes not shells. They deserve neighbours not dumping grounds.
“It is clear that providing grants will only go so far. What Galway needs now is a Vacant Homes Tax that penalises those who choose to leave homes to rot in a housing crisis.”
“Instead, this Government is happy to leave these homes to rot while thousands of children grow up in hotels. It is a disgrace.”
