The number of new homes built last year plummeted by 6.7% in comparison to 2023, new figures from the CSO have revealed.
In 2024, 30,330 new homes were completed - down from 32,695 the previous year.
The data also reveals a sharp decline in the number of apartments being built, with 8,763 completions - a 24% drop.
House building remains concentrated in the capital and surrounding counties, with a majority of new homes built in Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow.
A housing estate in Donegal town. Image: Richard Wayman / AlamyExperts have said the lack of construction in rural Ireland is behind the surging prices in many counties.
Last year, the average price of a home rose by nearly 10% in the Mid-West and an average rise of 8.7% was recorded in the West, South East and Midlands.
“In the next five-years, we need to be delivering over 60,000 [a year],” she said.
“So, it’s a very, very big ask to start addressing the demand.
“So, really and truly, the absolute priority for the Government… it needs to be ramped up significantly.”
In the Programme for Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have pledged to build “more than” 300,000 homes by 2030.
Main image: Builders at work. Picture by: Cum Okolo / Alamy Stock Photo
