Construction Information Services (CIS) data indicates close to 30k housing units were completed in 2023

In the first quarter of 2023 the Governments’ Housing for All target was set at 29,000 new-builds for the year, made up of 9,100 social homes, 5,500 affordable and cost rental homes, and 14,400 for private renters and owners. Moving forward, an average target of 33,000 new houses a year are to be built between now and 2030 under Housing for All.

2023 has seen 29,890 housing units completed in the Republic of Ireland, up 15% on the previous year. This overall figure is split between just over 25k units within scheme housing and apartment developments, across nearly 1k sites and 4,855 single dwellings. The year itself started off slowly with just shy of 900 units completed in the first month of the year and peaked at just over 4k units completed in September. The first quarter of the year saw 4.8k units completed. The second and third quarters saw 6.8k and 8.9k units completed respectively and the final quarter of 2023 saw a strong finish, with 9.3k units completed.

As expected, Dublin saw the highest level of delivery with over 11.7k units completed, while the border counties region; Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, witnessed just over 1k units completed in 2023. The commuter belt counties, outside of the Capital, as expected, saw the second highest level of delivery with almost 6.5k units completed in Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow.

One of the largest projects to reach its conclusion in 2023 was the Sandyford Central development in Dublin, for Richmond Homes, which saw 564 apartments completed.

 

Figure 1: Housing completion data throughout 2023

Commencements

To aid in alleviating the high demand for new housing in the country, a total of 32,989 new housing units were recorded as commenced on site throughout 2023, up 17% on the previous year, according to the latest CIS data.

This overall figure is split between just under 28k units within scheme housing and apartment developments, and just over 5k single dwellings. The year started off slowly with just over 1.7k units commencing in January and peaked at close to 3.5k units starting in July. The first quarter of the year saw just under 7k units commencing on site. The second and third quarters saw 8.7k and 8.9k units starting on site respectively and the final quarter of 2023 saw a steady enough finish, with 8.4k units commencing on site.

As expected, Dublin saw the highest level of activity with just under 13k units starting on site, while the border counties region; Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, witnessed just over 1.5k units starting in 2023. The commuter belt counties, outside of the Capital, again, as expected, saw the second highest level of activity with almost 5.9k units commencing on site in Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow, across both large and small-scale developments.

One of the largest developments to start on site, in late 2023 was the €400 million redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens in Dublin 7. Which, upon completion, will see over 1k units delivered by developer Bartra Capital. When complete, 50% of the A-rated homes will be delivered to Dublin City Council for social and affordable housing.

CIS figures are drawn directly from the National Building Control Office’s Building Control Management System (BCMS) who’s office, by legislation, records details of the commencement and completion of building works in Ireland.

Each week CIS gathers data from the BCMS, links the data to existing planning applications and records details of each new residential development, or phase thereof, started or completed.

CIS Research Manager, Scott Delaney, commenting on the figures stated: The BCMS figures we collate are painstakingly recorded by our research team from individual completion transactions published. In many cases, we manually count the numbers of units on each phase or revert to the original planning documents to see the number of units granted in apartment blocks. These figures are rigorously checked and I’m fully confident in the veracity of our data based on the BCMS register.

 

Figure 2: Housing commencement data throughout 2023

Notes:

Images: “Sites” refers to scheme housing and apartment developments only (excl. single dwellings)