This release was compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic. To show the effect of the pandemic and related restrictions on the New Dwelling Completions, additional monthly analysis has been included for this quarter's release.
Number of new dwelling completions | ||||
Single | Scheme | Apartment | Totals | |
Quarter 3 2019 | 1,272 | 3,312 | 1,068 | 5,652 |
Quarter 3 2020 | 1,467 | 2,877 | 774 | 5,118 |
% change | 15.3% | -13.1% | -27.5% | -9.4% |
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions have continued to affect completions this quarter, but not on the same level seen in quarter 2. There were 5,118 new dwelling completions in Q3 2020. This was a 9.4% decrease on the 5,652 completions in Q3 2019.
The Q3 data for 2020 also shows that:
Figure 1a details the monthly breakdown of new dwelling completions in 2020 against 2019. After only 396 completions in April 2020 (a 73.0% drop from April 2019), when restrictions largely halted the construction industry, completions rose to 1,794 in July 2020. This figure is an 11.0% decrease from 2,016 in July 2019. There was then a drop to 1,390 in August 2019 (a decrease of 22.6% from the 1,797 completions in August 2019). In September 2020 there were 1,934 completions that saw the monthly completions above 2019 figures for the first time since March. This was an increase of 5.2% on the 1,839 completions in September 2019.
Month | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|
Jan | 1299 | 1620 |
Feb | 1391 | 1584 |
Mar | 1560 | 1766 |
Apr | 1469 | 396 |
May | 1601 | 1232 |
Jun | 1751 | 1619 |
Jul | 2016 | 1794 |
Aug | 1797 | 1390 |
Sep | 1839 | 1934 |
ESB domestic connections dataset used as a primary sourceThe primary data source used for the New Dwellings Completions series is the ESB Networks new domestic connections dataset where the date that the connection is energized determines the date of completion. It is accepted that the ESB domestic connections dataset is overestimating new dwellings and the CSO has adjusted for this overcount by using additional information from the ESB and other data sources. ESB connections are classified into four categories: new dwelling completions, UFHDs (previously finished houses in UnFinished Housing Developments), reconnections and non-dwellings. The dwelling type (single, scheme, apartment) and urban-rural divide are defined by the ESB Network. See Background Notes and Methodology for a more detailed discussion of the classification. The New Dwelling Completions series is based on the number of domestic dwellings connected by the ESB Network to the electricity supply and may not accord precisely with Local Authority or Eircode Routing Key boundaries. The CSO has utilised other available data sources to validate and enhance the ESB connections dataset. However, this was only possible where the connections dataset could be confidently linked to another dataset using unique identifiers or by address matching. As the level of Eircode collection, coverage and storage increases across data sources in the housing sector, it is expected that the precision of estimates on new dwelling completions can be further enhanced. Student accommodationThere has been a significant level of construction output in the student accommodation sector. These are generally connected to the ESB Network as commercial connections and are therefore not included in the ESB domestic connections dataset and have also not been included in ESB connections released by DHPLG. The data available on this sector is on a “bed space” basis and it is not currently possible to report on it as dwellings, which are self-contained units of living accommodation. Based on consultation with stakeholders in this sector, student accommodation may be included in future New Dwelling Completions reports as a separate category. There were no bed spaces completed in the student accommodation sector in Q3 2020. Total completed bed spaces since Q2 2016 stands at 9,439. |
The ESB domestic connections dataset provides information on the type of connection and whether it is in an urban or rural area. Figure 2 below shows that in Q3 2020, the number of completions in urban areas has fallen 15.6% from 4,592 in Q3 2019 to 3,877 in Q3 2020. The number of completions in rural areas has risen 17.1% to 1,241 in Q3 2020 from 1,060 in Q3 2019. Despite this occurrence, still over three-quarters (75.8%) of new dwelling completions in Q3 2020 were in urban areas with 24.2% being in rural areas. This compares to 81.2% urban and 18.8%% rural in Q3 2019. See Table 2.
Urban | Rural | |
Q1 2016 | 1413 | 565 |
Q2 2016 | 1657 | 737 |
Q3 2016 | 1675 | 811 |
Q4 2016 | 2119 | 905 |
Q1 2017 | 2059 | 704 |
Q2 2017 | 2417 | 849 |
Q3 2017 | 2830 | 937 |
Q4 2017 | 3584 | 974 |
Q1 2018 | 2664 | 797 |
Q2 2018 | 3427 | 969 |
Q3 2018 | 3640 | 992 |
Q4 2018 | 4294 | 1137 |
Q1 2019 | 3361 | 889 |
Q2 2019 | 3698 | 1123 |
Q3 2019 | 4592 | 1060 |
Q4 2019 | 5207 | 1177 |
Q1 2020 | 4040 | 930 |
Q2 2020 | 2475 | 772 |
Q3 2020 | 3877 | 1241 |
The region with the highest number of new dwelling completions in Q3 2020 was the Mid-East with 1,303 followed by 1,145 in Dublin. Together these regions contain 47.8% of completions in the quarter. The next highest region was the South-West where there were 918 completions, which is a 66.0% increase from 553 in Q3 2019. In Dublin, there were 40.9% fewer completions than the 1,937 in Q3 2019.
Most apartments completed are still in Dublin where there were 498. This is 64.3% of the total apartments completed this quarter. There were 340 apartments completed in Dublin City alone (43.9% of national apartment completions). Of all completions in Dublin, 43.5% were apartments. In Dublin City, this proportion rises to 77.8%.
The Mid-East region accounts for 34.0% (978) of the total scheme dwellings in Q3 2020. Kildare was the county with by far the highest number of scheme completions in Q3 2020 with 441. The next highest was Meath with 271.
The West region had the highest number of single dwelling completions in the quarter (242) followed closely by the South-West (240) and the Mid-East (236). Cork County (168), Galway County (124) and Meath (106) all had over 100 single completions this quarter. See Table 3.
Classification into local authorities has taken into account boundary changes between Cork City and Cork County which came into effect in May 2019. All historical data within the tables below and the Statbank interactive tables has been revised to now be based on the new boundaries. However, data within archived releases has stayed as is. |
Figure 3 shows the number of new dwelling completions at the Eircode Routing Key level for Q3 2020. The Eircode area with the highest number of new dwelling completions was W91 'Naas' (248 completions) followed by H91 'Galway' (174) and T12 'Cork Southside' (168). Of the Eircode Routing Keys areas with the ten most new dwelling completions in the quarter, six are around Dublin suburbs and its commuter belt, with V94 'Limerick' (127) and V93 'Killarney' (112) the exceptions along with 'Galway' and 'Cork Southside' mentioned above.
Total domestic ESB connections in Q3 2020 totalled 6,096, a decrease of 8.7% on Q3 2019. The ESB domestic connections series continues to show a comparable trend to the NDC series compiled by the CSO as shown in Figure 4, with the two figures getting closer over recent years. The number of new dwelling completions as a percentage of total ESB domestic connections has increased significantly over the last five years, from a low of 52.1% in Q1 2015 to stand at 84.0% in Q3 2020.
There is still a noticeable difference in volume between the two series. The starting point for the NDC series is the ESB domestic connections dataset, with adjustments made to account for previously finished houses in unfinished housing developments (UFHDs), reconnections and non-dwellings as shown in Figure 5 and Table 4.
New dwelling completions | ESB connections | |
Q1 2016 | 1978 | 3150 |
Q2 2016 | 2394 | 3486 |
Q3 2016 | 2486 | 3874 |
Q4 2016 | 3024 | 4413 |
Q1 2017 | 2763 | 3902 |
Q2 2017 | 3266 | 4566 |
Q3 2017 | 3767 | 4991 |
Q4 2017 | 4558 | 5726 |
Q1 2018 | 3461 | 4457 |
Q2 2018 | 4396 | 5460 |
Q3 2018 | 4632 | 5739 |
Q4 2018 | 5431 | 6729 |
Q1 2019 | 4250 | 5279 |
Q2 2019 | 4821 | 5787 |
Q3 2019 | 5652 | 6679 |
Q4 2019 | 6384 | 7514 |
Q1 2020 | 4970 | 5919 |
Q2 2020 | 3247 | 3890 |
Q3 2020 | 5118 | 6096 |
The number of previously finished dwellings in unfinished housing developments (UFHDs) continues to decline, decreasing 41.8% from 189 in Q3 2019 to 110 in Q3 2020. This represents a drop of 84.6% from the peak in Q3 2014 when 716 UFHDs were connected to the ESB Network. UFHDs made up just 1.8% of all ESB domestic connections in Q3 2020 compared to 21.7% at the peak in 2014. A property which is reconnected to the ESB Network after having been disconnected for more than two years is assigned a new MPRN and is therefore included in the ESB connections datasets and here considered to be a reconnection. There were 621 reconnections in Q3 2020, the same number as that in Q3 2019. The number of non-dwellings has risen 13.8% from 217 in Q3 2019 to 247 in Q2 2020. See Figure 5 and Table 4.
UFHD | Reconnection | Non-dwelling | |
Q1 2016 | 497 | 478 | 197 |
Q2 2016 | 363 | 521 | 208 |
Q3 2016 | 559 | 630 | 199 |
Q4 2016 | 438 | 710 | 241 |
Q1 2017 | 369 | 550 | 220 |
Q2 2017 | 414 | 648 | 238 |
Q3 2017 | 320 | 684 | 220 |
Q4 2017 | 261 | 627 | 280 |
Q1 2018 | 212 | 568 | 216 |
Q2 2018 | 181 | 646 | 237 |
Q3 2018 | 185 | 703 | 219 |
Q4 2018 | 308 | 751 | 239 |
Q1 2019 | 176 | 592 | 261 |
Q2 2019 | 154 | 617 | 195 |
Q3 2019 | 189 | 621 | 217 |
Q4 2019 | 209 | 736 | 185 |
Q1 2020 | 111 | 596 | 242 |
Q2 2020 | 71 | 405 | 167 |
Q3 2020 | 110 | 621 | 247 |
Table 5 shows the type of ESB connection by NUTS3 region in Q3 2020. The Border region has the highest number of reconnections (113) with the most UFHDs in the South-West (40). There were no UFHDs in Dublin in Q3 2020. This is the first time any region has had zero UFHDs in a quarter since the series began in 2011. Dublin has the highest proportion of connections being new dwelling completions (94.9%) with the Border region having the lowest (66.2%).
Figure 6 shows that the average new dwelling size is continuing to gradually fall year on year. The decline in the average new dwelling size index is due to an increase in the proportion of completed dwellings being apartments and a decrease in the size of single dwellings (see Table 6). The average new dwelling size index is obtained by linking ESB connections to BER assessment data from the SEAI for new dwelling completions (see Table 7 in Background Notes and Methodology for match rates).
Index (2016 = 100) | |
2011 | 113.65159876442 |
2012 | 117.399445426579 |
2013 | 117.130542792096 |
2014 | 107.66620987935 |
2015 | 103.161177049217 |
2016 | 100 |
2017 | 91.3256958377342 |
2018 | 88.9603154785693 |
2019 | 84.7781490419176 |
2020* | 83.9224605899681 |
Table 1: New dwelling completions by type of dwelling, 2011 - Q3 2020 | |||||
Period | Single | Scheme | Apartment | Total | |
2011 | Q1 | 1,156 | 447 | 272 | 1,875 |
2011 | Q2 | 1,194 | 380 | 217 | 1,791 |
2011 | Q3 | 1,197 | 305 | 185 | 1,687 |
2011 | Q4 | 1,267 | 226 | 148 | 1,641 |
Year | 4,814 | 1,358 | 822 | 6,994 | |
2012 | Q1 | 797 | 211 | 123 | 1,131 |
2012 | Q2 | 847 | 194 | 76 | 1,117 |
2012 | Q3 | 868 | 244 | 93 | 1,205 |
2012 | Q4 | 989 | 315 | 154 | 1,458 |
Year | 3,501 | 964 | 446 | 4,911 | |
2013 | Q1 | 638 | 174 | 77 | 889 |
2013 | Q2 | 721 | 281 | 144 | 1,146 |
2013 | Q3 | 727 | 267 | 39 | 1,033 |
2013 | Q4 | 861 | 433 | 213 | 1,507 |
Year | 2,947 | 1,155 | 473 | 4,575 | |
2014 | Q1 | 625 | 309 | 160 | 1,094 |
2014 | Q2 | 712 | 365 | 241 | 1,318 |
2014 | Q3 | 728 | 506 | 170 | 1,404 |
2014 | Q4 | 910 | 615 | 177 | 1,702 |
Year | 2,975 | 1,795 | 748 | 5,518 | |
2015 | Q1 | 659 | 606 | 106 | 1,371 |
2015 | Q2 | 735 | 674 | 161 | 1,570 |
2015 | Q3 | 879 | 899 | 255 | 2,033 |
2015 | Q4 | 979 | 1,115 | 151 | 2,245 |
Year | 3,252 | 3,294 | 673 | 7,219 | |
2016 | Q1 | 699 | 939 | 340 | 1,978 |
2016 | Q2 | 886 | 1,256 | 252 | 2,394 |
2016 | Q3 | 977 | 1,223 | 286 | 2,486 |
2016 | Q4 | 1,092 | 1,649 | 283 | 3,024 |
Year | 3,654 | 5,067 | 1,161 | 9,882 | |
2017 | Q1 | 870 | 1,416 | 477 | 2,763 |
2017 | Q2 | 1,031 | 1,780 | 455 | 3,266 |
2017 | Q3 | 1,125 | 2,001 | 641 | 3,767 |
2017 | Q4 | 1,226 | 2,688 | 644 | 4,558 |
Year | 4,252 | 7,885 | 2,217 | 14,354 | |
2018 | Q1 | 968 | 2,017 | 476 | 3,461 |
2018 | Q2 | 1,151 | 2,760 | 485 | 4,396 |
2018 | Q3 | 1,208 | 2,833 | 591 | 4,632 |
2018 | Q4 | 1,352 | 3,363 | 716 | 5,431 |
Year | 4,679 | 10,973 | 2,268 | 17,920 | |
2019 | Q1 | 1,088 | 2,567 | 595 | 4,250 |
2019 | Q2 | 1,315 | 2,824 | 682 | 4,821 |
2019 | Q3 | 1,272 | 3,312 | 1,068 | 5,652 |
2019 | Q4 | 1,392 | 3,807 | 1,185 | 6,384 |
Year | 5,067 | 12,510 | 3,530 | 21,107 | |
2020 | Q1 | 1,093 | 2,844 | 1,033 | 4,970 |
2020 | Q2 | 869 | 1,842 | 536 | 3,247 |
2020 | Q3 | 1,467 | 2,877 | 774 | 5,118 |
Table 2: New dwelling completions by urban-rural divide, 2011 - Q3 2020 | ||||
Period | Urban | Rural | Total | |
2011 | Q1 | 841 | 1,033 | 1,874 |
2011 | Q2 | 706 | 1,081 | 1,787 |
2011 | Q3 | 602 | 1,085 | 1,687 |
2011 | Q4 | 489 | 1,152 | 1,641 |
Year | 2,638 | 4,351 | 6,989 | |
2012 | Q1 | 415 | 716 | 1,131 |
2012 | Q2 | 368 | 749 | 1,117 |
2012 | Q3 | 425 | 778 | 1,203 |
2012 | Q4 | 602 | 854 | 1,456 |
Year | 1,810 | 3,097 | 4,907 | |
2013 | Q1 | 329 | 560 | 889 |
2013 | Q2 | 534 | 611 | 1,145 |
2013 | Q3 | 398 | 635 | 1,033 |
2013 | Q4 | 774 | 733 | 1,507 |
Year | 2,035 | 2,539 | 4,574 | |
2014 | Q1 | 540 | 554 | 1,094 |
2014 | Q2 | 716 | 602 | 1,318 |
2014 | Q3 | 795 | 609 | 1,404 |
2014 | Q4 | 912 | 790 | 1,702 |
Year | 2,963 | 2,555 | 5,518 | |
2015 | Q1 | 832 | 539 | 1,371 |
2015 | Q2 | 952 | 618 | 1,570 |
2015 | Q3 | 1,281 | 751 | 2,032 |
2015 | Q4 | 1,420 | 824 | 2,244 |
Year | 4,485 | 2,732 | 7,217 | |
2016 | Q1 | 1,413 | 565 | 1,978 |
2016 | Q2 | 1,657 | 737 | 2,394 |
2016 | Q3 | 1,675 | 811 | 2,486 |
2016 | Q4 | 2,119 | 905 | 3,024 |
Year | 6,864 | 3,018 | 9,882 | |
2017 | Q1 | 2,059 | 704 | 2,763 |
2017 | Q2 | 2,417 | 849 | 3,266 |
2017 | Q3 | 2,830 | 937 | 3,767 |
2017 | Q4 | 3,584 | 974 | 4,558 |
Year | 10,890 | 3,464 | 14,354 | |
2018 | Q1 | 2,664 | 797 | 3,461 |
2018 | Q2 | 3,427 | 969 | 4,396 |
2018 | Q3 | 3,640 | 992 | 4,632 |
2018 | Q4 | 4,294 | 1,137 | 5,431 |
Year | 14,025 | 3,895 | 17,920 | |
2019 | Q1 | 3,361 | 889 | 4,250 |
2019 | Q2 | 3,698 | 1,123 | 4,821 |
2019 | Q3 | 4,592 | 1,060 | 5,652 |
2019 | Q4 | 5,207 | 1,177 | 6,384 |
Year | 16,858 | 4,249 | 21,107 | |
2020 | Q1 | 4,040 | 930 | 4,970 |
2020 | Q2 | 2,475 | 772 | 3,247 |
2020 | Q3 | 3,877 | 1,241 | 5,118 |
Table 3: New dwelling completions by type of dwelling and Local Authority - Q3 2020 | ||||
Local Authority | Single | Scheme | Apartment | Total - Q3 2020 |
Border | 186 | 92 | 40 | 318 |
Cavan | 41 | 18 | 4 | 63 |
Donegal | 78 | 51 | 5 | 134 |
Leitrim | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Monaghan | 34 | 21 | 2 | 57 |
Sligo | 22 | 2 | 29 | 53 |
West | 242 | 179 | 11 | 432 |
Galway City | 5 | 42 | 0 | 47 |
Galway County | 124 | 67 | 8 | 199 |
Mayo | 80 | 53 | 3 | 136 |
Roscommon | 33 | 17 | 0 | 50 |
Mid-West | 179 | 151 | 17 | 347 |
Clare | 64 | 47 | 3 | 114 |
Limerick | 64 | 68 | 10 | 142 |
Tipperary | 51 | 36 | 4 | 91 |
South-East | 183 | 241 | 17 | 441 |
Carlow | 26 | 38 | 0 | 64 |
Kilkenny | 44 | 41 | 3 | 88 |
Waterford | 39 | 76 | 13 | 128 |
Wexford | 74 | 86 | 1 | 161 |
South-West | 240 | 581 | 97 | 918 |
Cork City | 10 | 259 | 62 | 331 |
Cork County | 168 | 221 | 16 | 405 |
Kerry | 62 | 101 | 19 | 182 |
Dublin | 75 | 572 | 498 | 1,145 |
Dublin City | 28 | 69 | 340 | 437 |
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown | 15 | 102 | 81 | 198 |
Fingal | 20 | 228 | 44 | 292 |
South Dublin | 12 | 173 | 33 | 218 |
Mid-East | 236 | 978 | 89 | 1,303 |
Louth | 37 | 105 | 7 | 149 |
Kildare | 49 | 441 | 0 | 490 |
Meath | 106 | 271 | 11 | 388 |
Wicklow | 44 | 161 | 71 | 276 |
Midlands | 126 | 83 | 5 | 214 |
Laois | 34 | 45 | 3 | 82 |
Longford | 19 | 10 | 2 | 31 |
Offaly | 39 | 3 | 0 | 42 |
Westmeath | 34 | 25 | 0 | 59 |
Note: Local Authority based on substation of dwelling where available |
Table 4: ESB by Type of connection, 2011 - Q3 2020 | ||||||
Period | NDC | UFHD | Reconnection | Non-Dwelling | Total | |
2011 | Q1 | 1,875 | 383 | 241 | 205 | 2,704 |
2011 | Q2 | 1,791 | 331 | 224 | 209 | 2,555 |
2011 | Q3 | 1,687 | 326 | 299 | 195 | 2,507 |
2011 | Q4 | 1,641 | 338 | 326 | 218 | 2,523 |
Year | 6,994 | 1,378 | 1,090 | 827 | 10,289 | |
2012 | Q1 | 1,131 | 278 | 302 | 179 | 1,890 |
2012 | Q2 | 1,117 | 357 | 294 | 196 | 1,964 |
2012 | Q3 | 1,205 | 431 | 271 | 163 | 2,070 |
2012 | Q4 | 1,458 | 385 | 393 | 185 | 2,421 |
Year | 4,911 | 1,451 | 1,260 | 723 | 8,345 | |
2013 | Q1 | 889 | 354 | 280 | 156 | 1,679 |
2013 | Q2 | 1,146 | 323 | 347 | 161 | 1,977 |
2013 | Q3 | 1,033 | 393 | 392 | 144 | 1,962 |
2013 | Q4 | 1,507 | 436 | 454 | 192 | 2,589 |
Year | 4,575 | 1,506 | 1,473 | 653 | 8,207 | |
2014 | Q1 | 1,094 | 422 | 398 | 165 | 2,079 |
2014 | Q2 | 1,318 | 627 | 560 | 215 | 2,720 |
2014 | Q3 | 1,404 | 716 | 649 | 163 | 2,932 |
2014 | Q4 | 1,702 | 603 | 683 | 210 | 3,198 |
Year | 5,518 | 2,368 | 2,290 | 753 | 10,929 | |
2015 | Q1 | 1,371 | 342 | 742 | 179 | 2,634 |
2015 | Q2 | 1,570 | 453 | 746 | 210 | 2,979 |
2015 | Q3 | 2,033 | 384 | 670 | 194 | 3,281 |
2015 | Q4 | 2,245 | 492 | 730 | 262 | 3,729 |
Year | 7,219 | 1,671 | 2,888 | 845 | 12,623 | |
2016 | Q1 | 1,978 | 497 | 478 | 197 | 3,150 |
2016 | Q2 | 2,394 | 363 | 521 | 208 | 3,486 |
2016 | Q3 | 2,486 | 559 | 630 | 199 | 3,874 |
2016 | Q4 | 3,024 | 438 | 710 | 241 | 4,413 |
Year | 9,882 | 1,857 | 2,339 | 845 | 14,923 | |
2017 | Q1 | 2,763 | 369 | 550 | 220 | 3,902 |
2017 | Q2 | 3,266 | 414 | 648 | 238 | 4,566 |
2017 | Q3 | 3,767 | 320 | 684 | 220 | 4,991 |
2017 | Q4 | 4,558 | 261 | 627 | 280 | 5,726 |
Year | 14,354 | 1,364 | 2,509 | 958 | 19,185 | |
2018 | Q1 | 3,461 | 212 | 568 | 216 | 4,457 |
2018 | Q2 | 4,396 | 181 | 646 | 237 | 5,460 |
2018 | Q3 | 4,632 | 185 | 703 | 219 | 5,739 |
2018 | Q4 | 5,431 | 308 | 751 | 239 | 6,729 |
Year | 17,920 | 886 | 2,668 | 911 | 22,385 | |
2019 | Q1 | 4,250 | 176 | 592 | 261 | 5,279 |
2019 | Q2 | 4,821 | 154 | 617 | 195 | 5,787 |
2019 | Q3 | 5,652 | 189 | 621 | 217 | 6,679 |
2019 | Q4 | 6,384 | 209 | 736 | 185 | 7,514 |
Year | 21,107 | 728 | 2,566 | 858 | 25,259 | |
2020 | Q1 | 4,970 | 111 | 596 | 242 | 5,919 |
2020 | Q2 | 3,247 | 71 | 405 | 167 | 3,890 |
2020 | Q3 | 5,118 | 110 | 621 | 247 | 6,096 |
Table 5: ESB by type of connection and NUTS3, Q3 2020 | |||||
Region | New dwelling completions | UFHD | Reconnection | Non-Dwelling | Total ESB connections |
Border | 318 | 20 | 113 | 31 | 482 |
Dublin | 1,145 | 0 | 56 | 6 | 1,207 |
Mid-East | 1,303 | 6 | 72 | 46 | 1,427 |
Midlands | 214 | 8 | 41 | 15 | 278 |
Mid-West | 347 | 16 | 74 | 43 | 480 |
South-East | 441 | 15 | 79 | 25 | 560 |
South-West | 918 | 40 | 100 | 55 | 1,113 |
West | 432 | 5 | 86 | 26 | 549 |
Total regions | 5,118 | 110 | 621 | 247 | 6,096 |
Note: NUTS3 region based on substation of dwelling where available |
Table 6: New dwelling completions by average floor size, 2011 - Q3 2020 | ||||||||||
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Q1-Q3 2020 | |
Estimated weight in mix (%) | ||||||||||
Single | 69% | 71% | 64% | 54% | 45% | 37% | 30% | 26% | 24% | 26% |
Scheme | 19% | 20% | 25% | 33% | 46% | 51% | 55% | 61% | 59% | 57% |
Apartment | 12% | 9% | 10% | 14% | 9% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 17% | 18% |
Estimated average size of dwelling (sqm) | ||||||||||
Single | 228 | 230 | 237 | 224 | 219 | 232 | 225 | 222 | 219 | 213 |
Scheme | 107 | 115 | 125 | 141 | 137 | 135 | 129 | 127 | 122 | 121 |
Apartment | 73 | 68 | 77 | 75 | 84 | 77 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 82 |
Average dwelling size (sqm) | 186.5 | 192.7 | 192.2 | 176.7 | 169.3 | 164.1 | 149.9 | 146.0 | 139.1 | 137.7 |
Average dwelling size index (2016 = 100) | 114 | 117 | 117 | 108 | 103 | 100 | 91 | 89 | 85 | 84 |
% change | 3.3% | -0.2% | -8.1% | -4.2% | -3.1% | -8.7% | -2.6% | -4.7% | -1.0% |
The New Dwelling Completions series is produced by the CSO on a quarterly basis. A Housing Analytics Group (HAG) was established in 2017 by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG). This group, which met for the first time in May 2017, consists of representatives of bodies with a significant interest and role in housing, housing policy and related policy areas.
The HAG focused on a review of housing related data published nationally and in particular on the number of dwellings built every year. Arising from the work of this group and other direct discussions between the CSO and DHPLG, a significant outcome was to assess the suitability of current housing indicators for estimating the number of new dwelling completions in Ireland.
Historically, the number of new dwellings built in Ireland, as published by the DHPLG, was based on the number of connections to the ESB Network. However, in recent years it became apparent that this series was overestimating the levels of new dwelling construction in Ireland. The New Dwelling Completions series will look to replace this and other available indicators of housing activity in Ireland. This series will include information on dwelling type, urban/rural location, activity by Local Authority and by Eircode Routing Key. It will continue to be based on domestic ESB connections but will correct for over-coverage by using additional information from ESB Networks and incorporating data from other sources. It also includes data on the number of reconnections and on houses from unfinished housing developments that are coming back into use. This will provide policy-makers with a valuable insight into the number of new dwellings available for occupation in the quarterly period concerned and also show data on the numbers of dwellings being constructed.
The New Dwelling Completions data series is based on the number of new dwellings connected by the ESB Network to the electricity supply and may not accord precisely with Local Authority or Eircode Routing Key boundaries. The NDC series is split into counties and Eircode Routing Keys based on the information of the substation rather than the exact location of the dwelling. As Eircode becomes available as the unique identifier, it will replace the source of identifying the location of a new dwelling.
The breakdown of ESB connections by type of connection and dwelling is based on NUTS3 regions as described below:
ESB connections are classified into four categories:
The dwelling type is defined by the ESB Network and classified into three categories:
The classification of urban and rural dwellings is also defined by the ESB Network and based on the Distribution Use of System (DUoS) tariff, which is a fee that ESB Networks charge Electricity Suppliers for use of the Electricity Distribution System3.
Only domestic connections where a dwelling is a self-contained unit of living accommodation is included in the New Dwelling Completions series. Commercial properties, shared and communal living arrangements are excluded.
The New Dwelling Completions series is a new statistical product compiled from third party data sources. The series will be revised on an ongoing basis as more timely and accurate data sources become available and these data sources can be matched to the ESB new connections data set. BER Assessment data is used to validate the status of New Dwelling Completions, reconnections, UFHDs and non-dwellings. This will result in regular revisions to previous quarters due to the time lag between ESB connections and BER assessment. Historical data within the current release and StatBank interactive tables are impacted by revisions but data within archived releases has not been revised.
The primary data source used for the New Dwellings Completions series is the ESB domestic connections dataset where the date that the connection is energised determines the date of completion. It is accepted that the ESB domestic connections dataset overestimates new dwellings and the CSO has adjusted for this overcount by using additional information from the ESB and other data sources. The ESB domestic connections dataset is matched by the CSO to Building Energy Rating (BER) data, compiled by the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). Under the Statutory Instrument (S.I.) No. 243 of 2012, all residential property for sale must disclose their BER assessment (with some very minor exceptions). The BER includes detailed information on the type of dwelling, the type of certificate (Provisional, Final, Existing) as well as the date of assessment and construction. As the collection, storage and maintenance of Eircode improve, other data sources can be further consulted to improve the accuracy of the series.
The average new dwelling size index is based on measurements of the total floor area recorded by a BER Assessor in accordance with the BER Regulations, the BER Assessor's Code of Practice and all other directions issued by the SEAI4. As an MPRN, the unique identifier for an ESB connection is required for the BER certification process it is possible to link new housing completions data to BER certificates to produce the index. The match rate between new dwelling completions and BER certificates is consistently highest among scheme dwellings. Table 7 shows the percentage of new dwelling completions that can be matched to a BER certificate by dwelling type and year. Between 2015 and 2019, approximately nine out of ten scheme dwellings had a BER certificate compared to less than one in five single dwellings. The match rate for apartments has increased in recent years to stand at 76% in 2019.
Table 7: New dwelling completions and BER match rate, 2011 - Q3 2020 | ||||
Period | Single | Scheme | Apartment | Overall match rate |
2011 | 15% | 73% | 46% | 30% |
2012 | 14% | 79% | 28% | 28% |
2013 | 15% | 80% | 45% | 34% |
2014 | 15% | 87% | 61% | 45% |
2015 | 20% | 89% | 27% | 52% |
2016 | 22% | 90% | 50% | 60% |
2017 | 22% | 94% | 68% | 69% |
2018 | 20% | 93% | 66% | 71% |
2019 | 19% | 94% | 76% | 73% |
Q1-Q3 2020 | 8% | 79% | 63% | 58% |
While the time lag between connection to the ESB network and BER assessment can explain missing ber certificates, the data in table 7 indicates that there are additional factors at play for single dwellings and apartments.
The low match rate for single dwellings is due to the large number of self builds where dwellings are not intended for sale or rent, similarly, the low match rate for apartments can be explained by dwellings not intended for sale. these include conversions from single dwellings as well as social housing and developments in the build-to-rent sector. such developments will often have a range of provisional ber certificates or a partial number of bers for the development without having a final ber for all properties.
3 rules for the application of duos tariff group: https://www.esbnetworks.ie/docs/default-source/publications/rules-for-application-of-duos-tariff-group.pdf?sfvrsn=a44b33f0_4
4 ber assessor support: https://www.seai.ie/home-energy/building-energy-rating-ber/support-for-ber-assessors/domestic-ber-resources/
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