The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has reported a sharp drop in the number of homes granted planning permission between April and June this year, signaling a slowdown in future building activity.
A total of 7,447 housing units were approved during the second quarter, down 12.5% from 8,513 in the same period last year.
Apartment approvals saw the steepest decline, falling 21.4% year-on-year, while permissions for houses dropped by 6.4%. Houses represented 63% of all approvals, with apartments making up the remaining 37%.
The figures show multi-development houses fell by 7.5%, from 3,852 units last year to 3,565. One-off houses were down 3.2%, though this marks a smaller decrease than the 4.5% drop recorded between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025.
Regional trends also varied. Dublin recorded the highest number of apartment approvals, with 1,233 units—equivalent to 45% of all apartments approved nationally. The capital also accounted for 583 house approvals, or 12% of the total. In total, 1,816 dwelling units were approved in Dublin during the second quarter, representing 24% of the national figure.
However, approvals across Dublin’s four local authorities dropped significantly, falling 35.5% overall compared with the same period last year. Within that, house approvals were down 45%, while apartment approvals decreased by 30%.
Elsewhere, the Midlands region (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath) recorded the lowest number of apartment approvals at just 72. The Mid-East region (Louth, Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow) had the highest number of houses approved at 893, while the Mid-West (Clare, Limerick, and Tipperary) saw the fewest at 247.