County Sligo has the highest commercial vacancy rate in the country.
It’s at almost 19%, compared to a national rate of just over 13%,
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Leitrim is next to Sligo with a rate of 16.4% while Donegal is sixth on 15.6%.
The figures are for the last quarter of 2018.
The figures, from GeoView, are compiled using information from An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland
They show the numbers and rates of commercial buildings and premises that are empty.
Enniscrone, in West Sligo, at 19.3% had the lowest commercial vacancy rate in the county.
16.5% of the commercial properties in Sligo are involved in the accommodation and food services sector.
Sligo Town’s vacancy rate is over 22.5% while Tubbercurry’s is 21.4%.
Ballybofey in County Donegal remains the town with the highest commercial vacnacy rate in Ireland, rising to 30.7% at the end of 2018. Buncrana, at 13%, had the lowest in the county.
In Leitrim, the vacancy rate is almost 17% in Carrick on Shannon.
Sligo, Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Donegal have the highest vacancy rates while the lowest five were Meath, Kerry, Wexford, Westmeath and Cork.
The report also shows there are 348 fewer retail and wholesale units in the country compared to the same time last year, which may be an indication of more online shopping.
