Over 6,000 on the waiting list for housing with almost 4,000 on HAP

More than 6,000 people are currently on a waiting list to receive housing across Tallaght, Clondalkin and other parts of South Dublin, and almost 4,000 are in receipt of HAP.

Up to 6,297 people are on a housing waiting list in the county as per the latest figures from the local council, with more than half awaiting a one-bed home.

Almost 4,000 homes across the county are in receipt of a form of housing assistance payments (HAP).

There are 3,333 applicants on the local authority’s housing list hoping to receive a one-bedroom house in the future.

Those on this housing list could wait over nine-and-a-half years to get off it and in a door, according to the council in February.

The 1,943 that are on a list for a two-bed house may have to wait more than ten years, with those signed up for three and four-bed homes waiting anywhere from 11-and-a-half to 18 years.

South Dublin County Council shared that 3,933 people on the housing list are in receipt of their social housing supports aimed at those in need and also at risk of homelessness.

Of these tenants 2,091 are in receipt of the homeless HAP pay, while the other 1,842 avail of the standard HAP.

Those on the homeless list awaiting an allocation from the council are waiting around five years on average, according to February 2026 statistics.

A three-bed home for families on this list has an average waiting period of six years if it is south of the Naas Road, and six-and-a-half years if north of it.

A family on the homeless list waiting for a four-bed home north of the Naas Road wait, on average, 15 years to receive their home.

A further 845 tenancies live under the rental accommod-ation scheme through SDCC, which is another form of social housing support operated by local authorities across the country.

The scheme allows those who have a long-term housing need but not the income to match to avail of a longer rental contract and enjoy more security than they would have previously.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is preparing for the launch of a new RAS pilot scheme and SDCC has a nominee on the working group responsible for the rollout.

The new pilot scheme will set out to increase private landlord participation, reduce homelessness, extend length of the scheme and potentially increase the percentage of market rent payable to landlords.

People on the medical approval housing list can wait up to eight years for a three-bed home, or as little as three-and-a-half for a one-bed.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.