Builders began work on fewer than 8,000 new homes in the Republic over the first nine months of the year, a new report claims. It comes as industry figures believe house building this year will lag 2024 despite Government hopes that the Republic can add 300,000 new homes by 2030.
Work began on “just 7,896 new homes” in the first nine months of this year, industry analyst firm, CIS, says in a report published on Monday.
That total is almost 2,300 short of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage figures, which state that builders began work on 10,193 new dwellings in the first nine months of the year.
Those calculations are based on commencement notices, where builders inform their local council that they intend to begin work on new developments within 14 to 28 days. Both the building industry and the Government rely on these figures.
RM Block
CIS blames an acceleration in new housing starts last year, sparked by a temporary Government waiver on water connection and local council development fees, for the 2025 slow down.
The firm calculates that developers began work on 138,120 new dwellings in 2025. Those homes must be built by the end of next year to qualify for the waivers. That calculation is more than twice the official number, which exceeded 60,000.
Dave Thompson, CIS vice-president for the UK and Ireland, describes 2025’s slow down as a pause following an “extraordinary year” for housing starts.
“With a solid pipeline of approved schemes and continued policy focus on the housing shortage, we expect residential activity to pick up again from 2026,” he says.
CIS, powered by Hubexco, to give the firm its full title, says that in the first nine months of the year, planners gave permission for 10 per cent more homes than during the same period last in 2024.
Meanwhile, the firm predicts that Government spending on bridging the Republic’s infrastructure gap will spur growth. Work has started on 40 projects costing €634 million, of which transport accounted for €526 million.
“CIS forecasts that civil engineering starts will rise by 11 per cent in 2025 and then accelerate by 20 per cent in both 2026 and 2027 as transport, utilities and other major schemes move on site,” says a statement.
Global uncertainty could hit work on industrial projects, its says, with a 3 per cent dip this year followed by modest growth in 2026 and 2027.
