Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
206. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his response to the most recent monthly housing commencement figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17489/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra228. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his attention has been drawn to the complete lack of housing commencement notices lodged in Galway city so far this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17799/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraData on residential Commencement Notices, disaggregated by local authority and dwelling type, are published monthly on my Department's website, at Monthly Housing Commencement Data – Ireland | gov.ie
Commencement data shows commencement notices were lodged in respect of 2,046 new homes in January, up 73% on the 1,183 last year. While, commencement notices for 17,275 new homes were lodged in the 12-months to end January 2026, down 73% on the 67,129 notified as commenced in the same period last year.
Across 2024 and 2025 combined, a total of 85,723 commencement notices for new homes were lodged. This represents an increase of 43% compared with the combined total for 2022 and 2023 (59,758). Over the last five years (2021–2025), commencement notices were lodged for 176,205 new homes. While 16,412 commencement notices were lodged for new homes in 2025, this number was not unexpected given the extraordinary uplift in notices lodged in 2023 and 2024 and the likely shift in focus in the construction sector to progressing those homes already in the pipeline.
This has been mirrored in Galway City, some 1,322 commencement notices were lodged across 2024 and 2025, an increase of 238% on the 391 commencement notices lodged across 2022 and 2023.
That said, the five months to end January 2026 saw the highest monthly totals of commencements since the end of the Development Levy Waiver in December 2024, which may bode well for a return to increased commencement activity in 2026 as the large number of existing developments in the system build out.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities seeks to significantly accelerate delivery of new homes by focusing on activating land and creating the optimal environment to encourage housing activity – including regulatory reform, tax incentives and the largest ever capital investment in the history of the State, with €275 billion invested in infrastructure over ten years through the National Development Plan.
The recently revised National Planning Framework is a major step forward in this regard, and will help increase capacity and accelerate home building across the country, while new Housing Activation Office will work to address barriers to the delivery of infrastructure projects needed to enable housing development;
Budget 2026 included a suite of taxation measures aimed at stimulating the supply of new apartments including a reduced VAT rate on the sale of new apartments and an enhanced Corporation Tax deduction for apartment construction costs;
The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025 is essential legislation to deal with expiring planning permissions and to encourage activation of housing;
The continued calls for expressions of interest under the Croí Cónaithe Cities scheme since it began will help activate the thousands of planning permissions for apartments in our cities;
Government remain focused on continuing to bring forward measures that will continue to increase the supply of new homes across all tenures to make sure that everyone has a range of housing options available to them, whether they want to buy a house, rent one, or are in need of social housing.
