This article first appeared on Galway Bay FM

58 social homes in Galway have been vacant for longer than a year.

That’s according to figures obtained by Sinn Fein, which show 1 in 4 social homes nationwide are vacant and boarded up for longer than 12 months.

Of the social homes that are vacant longer-term in Galway, 36 are in the county, and 22 are in the city.

And in the city, there are 7 homes that are empty for between 2 and 3 years.

Sinn Fein says the figures show a ‘shocking failure’ by government in funding local authorities.