71% of council homes in Kildare are allocated to Irish people

Some 71% of homes allocated by Kildare County Council went to Irish people between 2022 and 2025.

Almost 21% went to people from the European Economic Area - the European Union countries along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

People from outside the EEA accounted for 7.4% of the allocation with 0.4% going to people from the UK.

Kildare County Council official Annette Aspell said homes are allocated in line with an agreed method - which is based on time on the list, with some peoples afforded priority status ( and this could be due to homelessness or disability).

Much housing is provided through approved housing bodies (AHBs), like Cluid.

Ms Aspell pointed out that KCC’s role is to “provide nominations” to the AHBs “in accordance with approved allocation procedures.”

She told a KCC meeting that it’s not possible to accurately collate the data in relation to AHB tenants but it’s broadly similar to the KCC figures which she said are publicly available and included in annual reports..

Cllr Tom McDonnell said no figures were provided from the AHBs.

He claimed there are 450 AHBs and (there is) “no transparency in who they give houses to.”

He claimed Fingal County Council’s housing list is “42% non-Irish”.

He claimed 34% of housing applicants in Kildare are non-Irish, 70% of people provided with housing by De Paul in 2024 were asylum seekers.

He further claimed that "charities are now buying more homes than cuckoo funds” and “up to 50,000 asylum seekers will need housing by 2026.”

He said young people are leaving Ireland “in their droves” because they cannot get homes of their own and those leaving include nurses and doctors.

Ms Aspell replied that De Paul is one of two bodies nominated to assist those leaving IPAS centres.

Cllr Noel Connolly said figures about housing allocations are being used to divide communities. He said many migrants are in need of supports because they are low earners and he pointed out that many people from other countries fill vital workplace roles in Ireland.

He said he believes housing allocations are being made fairly in Kildare.

Cllr Chris Pender said the KCC figures showed the system of allocation is fair.

Cllr Aoife Breslin said she has “every faith” in how homes are given out.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Tim Durkan said he never had a reason to question how a property was given out.