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Users should note that the number of new dwelling units granted planning permission can vary significantly from quarter to quarter if a large development or a number of large developments are approved within the same reference quarter. Users should therefore exercise caution in extrapolating long-term trends on the basis of a single quarter’s data. Additionally, changes to applications processes for Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) and related issues in An Bord Pleanála in 2022 may impact the number of planning permissions granted over recent quarters. Users should also note that the backlog of SHD applications which have been both processed and are still before An Bord Pleanála awaiting decision, may also impact the number of planning permissions granted over recent quarters.
There was an annual increase of almost 21% in the total number of dwelling units approved in 2023, up from 34,177 units in 2022 to 41,225 units in 2023. In 2022 an annual decrease of 20.5% was recorded.
In 2023, the number of apartments granted planning permission rose by almost 29% when compared with 2022, while house approvals were up by more than 13%.
There was an annual rise of 40% in the number of multi-development houses receiving planning permission in 2023, compared with a decline of 27% in one-off houses.
Across the four local authorities of Dublin, planning permission was granted for 13,833 apartments in 2023, accounting for almost two-thirds (64%) of all apartments granted planning permission in the state.
In 2023, there was an annual increase of 35% (14,211 to 19,172) in the total number of Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) dwelling units approved.
In Quarter 4 (Q4) 2023, the total number of dwelling units approved planning permission rose by 47% to 11,181 units compared with 7,597 units in Q4 2022.
Planning permissions granted for apartment units rose by 64% in Q4 2023 compared with Q4 2022, while house permissions granted during the same period increased by 31%.
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023, an annual rise of more than 12% was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for all developments, with 6,399 permissions approved in Q4 2023 compared with 5,691 in Q4 2022.
The headline table shows the total number of dwelling units (Houses and Apartments) granted planning permission in Quarter 4 (Q4) of 2022 and 2023 and the year 2022 and 2023. It also highlights annual percentage changes.
| Dwelling units granted planning permission, 2022 and 2023 | |||||||||
| Quarter 4 | January - December | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2023 | Change | 2022 | 2023 | Change | ||||
| Multi-development houses | 2,483 | 3,818 | 1,335 | 53.8% | 10,530 | 14,706 | 4,176 | 39.7% | |
| One-off houses | 1,356 | 1,213 | -143 | -10.5% | 6,924 | 5,032 | -1,892 | -27.3% | |
| All Houses | 3,839 | 5,031 | 1,192 | 31.0% | 17,454 | 19,738 | 2,284 | 13.1% | |
| Apartments | 3,758 | 6,150 | 2,392 | 63.7% | 16,723 | 21,487 | 4,764 | 28.5% | |
| Total Dwellings | 7,597 | 11,181 | 3,584 | 47.2% | 34,177 | 41,225 | 7,048 | 20.6% | |
In the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 there were 6,150 apartments granted planning permission. During the same period, 3,818 multi-development houses and 1,213 one-off houses were approved.
In 2023 there were 21,487 apartments granted planning permission. During the same period, 14,706 multi-development houses and 5,032 one-off houses were approved.
Apartments accounted for 55.0% of all new dwelling units granted planning permission in Q4 2023 with 6,150 units approved. During the same period, there were 5,031 houses granted planning permission. Similar to Q2 2023, more apartments than houses have been granted planning permission.
In total, there were 6,399 applications for planning permissions granted for all developments in Q4 2023. Applications may relate to a single dwelling or a number of dwellings in the case of multi-unit development applications. Of these applications granted permission, 1,565 were for new construction dwellings, 2,044 for other new constructions, 1,728 for extensions, and 1,062 permissions were for alterations and conversions.
Of the 1,565 new construction dwellings granted planning permission, 1,213 were one-off houses, 186 were apartments, 159 were multi-development houses, and seven were communal dwellings.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Status |
|---|---|
| New construction dwellings | 1565 |
| New construction other | 2044 |
| Extensions | 1728 |
| Alterations and conversions | 1062 |
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Status |
|---|---|
| Multi-development houses | 159 |
| One-off houses | 1213 |
| Apartments | 186 |
| Communal dwellings | 7 |
Between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023, an annual rise of 12.4% has been recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for all developments, with 5,691 permissions approved in Q4 2022 compared with 6,399 permissions approved in the current quarter. During the same period an annual decline of 3.1% was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for new construction dwellings, while there were annual increases in approvals for other new constructions (+29.6%), alterations and conversions (+22.8%), and extensions (+5.8%).
In 2023 there were 25,226 planning permissions granted for all developments. Of these permissions, 6,355 were for new construction dwellings, 7,714 for other new constructions, 7,029 for extensions, and 4,128 permissions were for alterations and conversions.
Of the 6,355 new construction dwellings granted planning permission in 2023, 5,032 were for one-off houses, 749 for apartments, 541 for multi-development houses, and 33 permissions for communal dwellings.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Status |
|---|---|
| New construction dwellings | 6355 |
| New construction other | 7714 |
| Extensions | 7029 |
| Alterations and conversions | 4128 |
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Status |
|---|---|
| Multi-development houses | 541 |
| One-off houses | 5032 |
| Apartments | 749 |
| Communal dwellings | 33 |
In 2023 an annual decrease of 7.4% was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for all developments, with 25,226 permissions approved in 2023 compared with 27,234 in 2022. During the same period, an annual decrease of 21.9% was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for new construction dwellings. There were also annual decreases in approvals for extensions (-4.8%) and for alterations and conversions (-4.3%), while other new constructions showed an annual increase of 4.2%.
There were 6,399 planning permissions granted for all functional categories in Q4 2023. Dwelling units accounted for 60% (3,842) of all permissions granted. Of these 3,842 permissions granted, 1,565 were for new constructions, 1,503 were for extensions, and 774 were for alterations and conversions.
There were 21,487 new apartments granted planning permission in 2023.
Dublin had the highest proportion of new apartments approved with 64.4% (13,833) of all apartments granted planning permission in the state. This was followed by the South-West region with 14.7% (3,168) of apartment approvals and the Mid-East with 8.5% (1,821). The Eastern and Midland Region (Dublin, Mid-East, and Midlands) accounted for 16,215 new apartments, 75.5% of the total number of new apartments granted planning permission. The Southern Region (Mid-West, South-East, and South-West) accounted for 20.2% (4,335) of apartment approvals with the Northern and Western Region (Border and West) accounting for the remaining 4.4% (937 apartments).
In 2023, within the county of Dublin, Fingal County Council accounted for 25.5% (5,483) and Dublin City Council accounted for 21.4% (4,601) of the total number of apartment units granted planning permission in the state. Outside of Dublin, the highest numbers of apartments granted planning permissions were in counties Cork (2,918 apartments), Meath (685 apartments), and Louth (591 apartments). Roscommon did not grant any planning permissions for apartments during 2023.
There were 19,738 new houses granted planning permission in 2023.
Dublin had the highest proportion of new houses approved with 24.2% (4,776) of all houses granted planning permission in the state. This was followed by the Mid-East region with 16.6% (3,274) of house approvals and the South-West region with 15.3% (3,013 houses). The Eastern and Midland Region (Dublin, Mid-East, and Midlands) accounted for 9,666 new houses, 49.0% of the total number of new houses granted planning permission. The Southern Region (Mid-West, South-East, and South-West) accounted for 37.7% (7,434) of house approvals with the Northern and Western Region (Border and West) accounting for the remaining 13.4% (2,638 houses).
In 2023, there were 19,738 houses granted planning permission in the state. Dublin had the highest proportion of houses granted planning permission at 24.2% (4,776 houses), followed by Cork at 13.6% (2,676 houses) and Meath at 6.5% (1,288 houses). Leitrim had the lowest proportion with 50 houses granted planning permission, followed by Roscommon with 152 houses and Monaghan with 169 houses.
Dublin accounted for the highest proportion of dwelling units granted planning permission in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Dublin accounted for 12,156 (35.6%) of all dwelling units granted planning permission, compared with 18,609 units (45.1%) in 2023. The number of dwelling units granted planning permission in Dublin increased by 53.1% between 2022 and 2023.
| Total Dwelling Units (2023) | Total Dwelling Units (2022) | |
| Border | 1797 | 1719 |
| West | 1778 | 1782 |
| Mid-West | 2794 | 3183 |
| South-East | 2794 | 2982 |
| South-West | 6181 | 4960 |
| Dublin | 18609 | 12156 |
| Mid-East | 5095 | 5752 |
| Midlands | 2177 | 1643 |
The Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process is where applications of at least 100 residential units or 200+ student bed spaces can be made directly to An Bord Pleanála.
In 2023, there was an annual increase of 34.9% (14,211 to 19,172) in the total number of SHD dwelling units approved. There was an annual increase of 106.3% in the number of houses approved under the SHD process, compared with a rise of 18.4% in the number of SHD apartments approved. In 2023, 46.5% of all planning permissions (13,672 apartments and 5,500 houses) were granted under the SHD process. Apartments accounted for 71.3% of all successful SHD applications. Of the 19,738 houses granted planning permission, 27.9% (5,500) were granted under the SHD process.
Please note: The Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process expired to new applications on 25 February 2022. It has been succeeded by the Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) scheme. Please see Background Notes.
| X-axis label | Non-Strategic Housing Development units | Strategic Housing Development units |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q4 - Apartment units | 1008 | 2750 |
| 2022 Q4 - Multi-development house units | 1843 | 640 |
| 2023 Q1 - Apartment units | 1810 | 3703 |
| 2023 Q1 - Multi-development house units | 2821 | 1905 |
| 2023 Q2 - Apartment units | 2193 | 2828 |
| 2023 Q2 - Multi-development house units | 1415 | 1115 |
| 2023 Q3 - Apartment units | 2516 | 2287 |
| 2023 Q3 - Multi-development house units | 2388 | 1244 |
| 2023 Q4 - Apartment units | 1296 | 4854 |
| 2023 Q4 - Multi-development house units | 2582 | 1236 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (14 March 2024) released Planning Permissions Quarter 4 and Year 2023.
Commenting on the release, Shane O'Sullivan, Statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: “In 2023, the total number of dwelling units granted planning permission was 41,225, up 20.6% from 34,177 units in 2022. In (October, November, and December) (Q4) 2023, the total number of dwelling units granted planning permission was 11,181, up 47.2% from 7,597 units in Q4 2022.
Quarterly Comparisons
Apartment units accounted for more than half (55% or 6,150 units) of total dwelling units granted permission in Q4 2023, an increase of 64% when compared with 3,758 units which received approval in Q4 2022.
There were 54% more multi-development houses approved permission in Q4 2023 when compared with Q4 2022. One-off houses showed an annual decline of 10.5% from 1,356 units in Q4 2022 to 1,213 units in Q4 2023.
Of the 6,399 planning permissions granted for all developments in Q4 2023, 1,565 were for new construction dwellings, 2,044 for other new constructions, 1,728 for extensions, and 1,062 permissions were granted for alterations and conversions.
Dublin accounted for 45% (2,768 units) of all apartments approved during Q4 2023. This was followed by Cork at 34% (2,114 units) and Meath at 5% (286 units).
In terms of house units granted planning permission in Q4 2023, Dublin had the highest number at 768 units (15%), followed by Cork with 585 units (12%), and Meath with 531 units (11%).
Of the 6,090 units approved in Q4 2023 under the Strategic Housing Development scheme, 80% were for apartments and 20% were for houses.
Annual Comparisons
Apartment units accounted for more than half (52% or 21,487 units) of total dwelling units granted permission in 2023, an increase of 28.5% when compared with 16,723 units which received approval in 2022.
There were 27% fewer one-off houses approved permission in 2023 when compared with a year earlier. In contrast, in 2023 there were 40% more multi-development house units approved than during 2022.
Of the 25,226 planning permissions granted for all developments in 2023, 6,355 were for new construction dwellings, 7,714 were for other new constructions, 7,029 were for extensions, and 4,128 permissions were granted for alterations and conversions.
Dublin accounted for 64% (13,833 units) of all apartments approved in 2023. This was followed by Cork at 14% (2,918 units) and Meath at 3% (685 units).
In terms of house units granted planning permission in 2023, Dublin accounted for the largest number of houses with 4,776 units (24%) followed by Cork with 2,676 units (14%) and Meath with 1,288 units (7%).
On an annual basis, the number of units approved (apartments and total houses) under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) scheme rose by 35% in 2023."