New Dwelling Completions Q1 2018

ESB domestic connections dataset used as primary source

The primary data source used for New Dwellings Completions 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 is overestimating new dwellings and the CSO has adjusted for this overcount by using additional information from ESB and other data sources.

To develop rules to categorise dwellings from the ESB domestic connections dataset, the CSO matched this information with Census data. Address matching is not a straightforward process and has several limitations which are exacerbated by the number of non-unique addresses in Ireland. Incorrectly matched records have been removed by the CSO so that they do not influence the classification decisions.

ESB connections are classified into four categories:

  •  New Dwellings: Recently constructed dwellings, where a dwelling is a self-contained unit of living accommodation.

  •  Reconnections: A dwelling that has been reconnected to the Electricity Network after a period of two years of disconnection.

  •  UFHDs: Connections to the ESB Network of previously completed dwellings in Unfinished/Ghost estates. A methodology was developed to identify houses which were complete in 2011 and were subsequently connected to the ESB Network. Although these dwellings may have required finishing to become available for use they are not new dwelling completions for the purposes of this publication. However housing in Unfinished/Ghost estates which were not in a complete state in 2011 are included as new dwelling completions on connection to the ESB Network.

  •  Non-dwelling: A building connected to the ESB Network through a domestic connection that is not constructed for residential use. 

The New Dwelling Completions data series are based on the number of new dwellings connected by the ESB Network to the electricity supply and may not accord precisely with county or Eircode Routing Key boundaries.

The dwelling type (single, scheme, apartment) is defined by the ESB Network.

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 accommodation

There 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. Since Q3 2016, 2,642 bed spaces were completed. A detailed breakdown can be found in Table 2.3 in the Overview.