More than 3,600 council houses are lying empty in the midst of the housing crisis.
It comes as 72 thousand households in Ireland qualify for housing support.
A report from the National Oversight and Audit Commission, which oversees local authorities, says some councils need to improve the time it takes to re-let a property.
The report says the turnover takes 77 weeks in Sligo and 70 in Leitrim with the quickest in Westmeath at just under 7 weeks.
According to the Irish Independent, a three bed house in Kildare has been lying vacant for two years after being sold to the local council.