Slow start to year for planning permissions
The total number of homes approved in the first quarter (Q2) of this year was down 2.5% compared with the same period last year, according to official figures.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said that 8,177 homes were granted planning permission during the quarter, compared with 8,387 in the same period last year.
The CSO figures showed that approvals for houses were up marginally (0.8%) compared with Q1 last year. Apartment permissions, however, dropped by 7%.
2024 trend continues
The figures continue a trend from last year, when planning permissions fell by 21%, led by a slump in approvals for apartments.
The Government this week announced measures that it said were aimed at increasing the supply of apartments.
Houses accounted for 60% of the homes granted permission in the three months to the end of March.
Planning permission for 3,707 houses in multi-development schemes was granted during the three months – an annual increase of 2.7%.
One-off houses approved were down 4.5% to 1,230.
Mid-east leads way for houses
Across the four local authorities of Dublin, there was an annual decline of 0.6% in the total number of dwelling units approved in Q1.
While the number of houses approved in Dublin more than trebled to 643 units, there was a drop of 22% in the number of apartments approved (1,556).
The mid-east region (Louth, Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow) recorded the highest number of houses approved, at 1,378.
The number of homes approved under the SHD (strategic housing development) process fell by 2.2% to 2,336. While the figure for houses approved under SHD rose by 8.3%, apartments dropped by 9.1%.
The SHD process expired to new applications on 25 February 2022. It has been succeeded by the Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) scheme.