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House Building & Other Construction

18%
Increase in new dwelling completions in 2019 from 2018

This chapter contains information on house building & other construction in Ireland. It includes information on planning permissions, the construction sector, new dwellings completions and the Residential Property Price Index (RPPI). The RPPI measures the change in the level of prices paid for residential properties sold in Ireland.

Construction statistics are compiled by the CSO using inquiries to construction firms or, in the case of planning permissions data, to the planning authorities. Statistics for production in construction are compiled using the quarterly CSO survey, Production in Building and Construction. A measure of new orders in the sector is provided by the CSO inquiry on planning permissions.

New Dwelling Completions data has been compiled using ESB Network's new domestic connections dataset validated with data on Building Energy Ratings (BER).

Open in Excel:
HousesApartments
20092681413742
2010116046874
201190982547
20125389861
201360021197
20146626785
2015102502794
2016123183632
2017154405336
2018199649138
20191967020582
15.1 Summary of planning permissions granted for dwellings

In 2019, for the first time, more apartments than houses were granted planning permission.

Planning permissions were granted for 20,582 apartment units in 2019, compared with 9,138 units in 2018, an increase of 125%. This number is still lower than the peak of 32,077 apartment units granted in 2004.

Planning permissions were granted for 19,670 houses in 2019, compared with 19,964 in 2018, a decrease of 1.5%. This number has decreased for the first time since 2012.

Over the period 2010 to 2019 the number of new houses granted permission increased by 69.5% and the number of new apartments granted permission increased by almost 200%.

Interactive table: Statbank BHA05

Link to release: Planning Permissions

Open in Excel:
SingleSchemeApartment
201148141358822
20123501964446
201329471155473
201429751795748
201532523294673
2016365750681161
2017425078862217
20184682109822280
20195067125163550
Table 15.2 Summary of new dwelling completions by type of dwelling, 2011 - 2019

The number of new dwellings completed continued to increase in 2019 with a total of 21,133 completions in this year. This is a 17.8% increase from the 17,944 in 2018.

An increase has been seen for all dwelling types - single, scheme and apartments - with the relative growth most striking for apartments. The number of apartments completed in 2019 was 3,550, which is a 55.7% increase from the 2,280 in 2018.

The number of single dwellings completed in 2019 was 5,067. This is an increase of 8.2% from the 4,682 in 2018. The number of scheme dwellings completed rose 14.0% from 10,982 in 2018 to 12,516 in 2019.

Interactive table: Statbank NDQ01

Link to release: New Dwelling Completions

56%
New apartment dwellings in 2019 compared to 2018
Table 15.3 Summary of new dwelling completions by county and type of dwelling, 2019

The county with the most new dwellings completed in 2019, with 6,926, was Dublin. Of these completions in Dublin, 2,590 (37.4%) were apartments and 4,032 (58.2%) were scheme dwellings. The apartments completed in Dublin represent 73.0% of all apartments completed in the country in 2019. Kildare had the highest proportion of completions as scheme dwellings (86.1%). The most single dwellings were completed in Cork with 640. Cavan had the highest proportion of single dwellings (78.3%).

Aside from Dublin, Cork (2,142), Kildare (1,897), Meath (1,641), Wicklow (1,135) and Galway (1,043) all had over 1,000 new dwellings completed in 2019. Leitrim (41) was the only county with less than 100 dwellings completed. 

Interactive table: Statbank NDQ06

Link to release: New Dwelling Completions

UrbanRural
201126384351
201218103097
201320352539
201429632555
201544852732
201668673019
2017108893464
2018140483896
2019168834250

The ESB connections dataset provides information on whether the connection is in an urban or rural setting. In 2011 and 2012, almost two-thirds (63.1% in 2012) of all new dwelling completions were rural. This trend is reversed from 2014 onwards when more than half of all new dwelling completions are urban (53.7% in 2014). In 2019, close to four-fifths of all new dwelling completions are urban (79.9%). 

The coordinates of ESB substations have been linked to their corresponding Eircode Routing Key area. This allows for a more detailed breakdown of new dwelling completions. It is worth noting that Routing Keys may cross County boundaries and do not cover a standard geographical or population range.

In 2019, the Eircode Routing Key with the most new dwelling completions was W91 'Naas' where there were 829 completions. The next highest was 741 in D15 'Dublin 15'. Eight out of the top ten Eircode Routing Keys with the most new dwelling completions are in Dublin and its commuter belt.

Outside of this region, the most new dwelling completions in 2019 were in H91 'Galway' (718) and V94 'Limerick' (557). 

Final BERNew Dwelling Completions
20119976989
20129114907
201312524574
201421265518
201533857217
201653949886
2017943714353
20181227617944
20191456021133

The number of new dwelling Final BER audits for new domestic dwellings in 2019 was 14,560, an increase of 18.6% on 2018. 

Table 15.4 Residential Property Price Index
Base 2015=100
YearNational - All residential propertiesNational - housesNational - apartmentsDublin - all residential propertiesDublin - housesDublin - apartmentsNational excluding Dublin - all residential propertiesNational excluding Dublin - housesNational excluding Dublin - apartments
2005131.8127.9156.7126.7120.4151.6148.8146.3194.0
2006151.4147.3178.5149.6144.1171.1168.2165.3223.6
2007162.7158.8188.8157.9152.7178.9182.6179.7237.8
2008151.4148.5171.9143.4140160.9172.1169.5220.3
2009122.4121.8126.2108.3107.2117.1143.6142.4167.2
2010106.0106.2103.889.989.396.5126.5125.9136.9
201187.988.186.175.574.881.9103.8103.8104.0
201276.076.670.366.766.667.888.188.286.2
201377.077.472.973.273.771.182.081.982.9
201489.789.787.991.091.289.588.488.488.2
2015100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
2016107.5107.3107.1105.1104.7106.1110.0109.7113.1
2017119.1119.0118.9115.0114.6116.5123.4122.9129.4
2018131.3130.8134.0124.9124.0128.9138.2137.2149.0
2019134.4134.0136.6124.9123.8129.3144.8143.6158.5
Source: CSO

The Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) measures the change in the level of prices paid for residential properties sold in Ireland. The index is mix-adjusted to allow for the fact that different types of property are sold in different periods. The index comprises various sub-indices, covering properties in Dublin and outside the capital, houses and apartments.

Table 15.4 shows the index results (Base: 2015 = 100) for the RPPI and its sub-indices from 2005 to 2019. The overall National index peaked in 2007 and fell to its lowest level in 2012, declining by 53.3% over this period. The index showed its greatest annual increase between 2013 and 2014 (+16.5%) and its greatest annual decrease between 2008 and 2009 (-19.2%). From the historic low in 2012 to 2019 the National index rose by 76.8%.

Dublin residential property prices fell faster than property prices outside the capital, declining by 57.8% from 2007 to 2012. However, they also recovered faster, increasing by 87.3% from 2012 to 2019.  In contrast, residential property prices outside the capital declined by 51.8% between 2007 and 2012. They fell a further 6.9% in 2013, but recovered 76.6% of their value between the low point in 2013 and 2019.

Interactive table: StatBank HPA13

Link to release: Residential Property Price Index

MonthNationalDublinRest of Ireland
Jan-10113.296.1135.3
Feb-10111.493.9133.7
Mar-1011091.8132.9
Apr-10109.491.6131.8
May-10107.590.7128.8
Jun-10106.389.5127.8
Jul-10105.288.8126.2
Aug-10104.989.3125
Sep-10103.689.1122.4
Oct-10101.987.7120.2
Nov-1099.885.9117.7
Dec-1098.384.4116.3
Jan-1197.583.5115.5
Feb-1195.681.8113.4
Mar-1193.379.5110.9
Apr-119278.9108.9
May-1190.477.6106.9
Jun-1189.176.5105.3
Jul-1187.275.4102.5
Aug-118573.999.4
Sep-1183.271.897.8
Oct-1181.770.496.3
Nov-1180.368.995.1
Dec-1179.167.693.9
Jan-1277.866.492.5
Feb-127664.690.8
Mar-1276.465.191.1
Apr-1275.264.888.7
May-127564.888.1
Jun-1274.865.187.3
Jul-1275.666.587.4
Aug-1275.767.486.6
Sep-1276.368.187
Oct-1276.668.886.8
Nov-1276.369.285.6
Dec-1276.67085.3
Jan-1375.269.482.9
Feb-1374.468.282.5
Mar-1373.467.880.7
Apr-1373.768.680.5
May-1373.769.179.8
Jun-1375.671.680.9
Jul-1377.474.281.6
Aug-1378.57681.8
Sep-1379.777.482.9
Oct-1380.277.983.4
Nov-1380.678.883
Dec-1381.579.884
Jan-1481.680.183.7
Feb-148280.584
Mar-1482.581.883.6
Apr-1484.384.284.6
May-1486.587.286
Jun-148990.887
Jul-1491.794.588.5
Aug-1493.696.690
Sep-1495.69991.5
Oct-1496.699.593.1
Nov-1496.999.394.2
Dec-1496.297.994.3
Jan-1596.598.394.6
Feb-1596.297.994.5
Mar-1596.597.895.2
Apr-1597.397.996.7
May-1598.498.598.4
Jun-1510099.9100.1
Jul-15100.8100.4101.2
Aug-15102101.4102.6
Sep-15102.4101.4103.4
Oct-15103.5102.6104.5
Nov-15103.2102.2104.3
Dec-15103101.6104.4
Jan-16104103.1104.9
Feb-16103.4102.3104.4
Mar-16103.7102.6104.8
Apr-16104.3103.2105.5
May-16104.5102.9106.2
Jun-16105.6103.1108.2
Jul-16107.9104.4111.5
Aug-16109.4106112.9
Sep-16110.7107.6113.9
Oct-16111.2107.9114.7
Nov-16112.7109.1116.4
Dec-16112.2108.4116.2
Jan-17113109117.1
Feb-17113.3109.3117.5
Mar-17113.8110117.7
Apr-17114.2109.2119.5
May-17115.9112120
June-17117.5114.1120.9
July-17120.4116.7124.3
Aug-17122.2118.4126.2
Sept-17123.9119.7128.1
Oct-17124.3120.3128.4
Nov-17125.3120.6130.1
Dec-17125.9121.1130.8
Jan-18126.5121.8131.3
Feb-18127.4122.9132
Mar-18128.2122.8133.8
Apr-18129.5123.3136
May-18130.3124.2136.7
June-18131.6124.4139.3
July-18132.4125.3140
Aug-18133.1126.3140.4
Sep-18134.4127.3141.9
Oct-18134.7127.7142.1
Nov-18134.2126.8142.1
Dec-18133.8125.8142.4
Jan-19133.1125.1141.6
Feb-19132.9124.7141.6
Mar-19133123.9142.9
Apr-19133.3123.9143.4
May-19133.6124.2143.9
June-19134.2124.5144.8
July-19135.3125.3146.2
Aug-19135.7125.8146.5
Sep-19135.9125.9146.7
Oct-19136125.9147
Nov-19135.7125.6146.8
Dec-19134.2123.6145.9
MonthNationalDublinExcluding Dublin
Jan-05100100100
Feb-05100.8102.1100.1
Mar-05101.4102.9100.5
Apr-05102.1103.6101.2
May-05102.8104.4101.9
Jun-05103.7104.5103.3
Jul-05105.3105.7105.1
Aug-05107.1107.8106.7
Sep-05108.2109.7107.4
Oct-05110.6112.8109.3
Nov-05111.5114.3110
Dec-05112.6114.9111.4
Jan-06113.2115.4111.9
Feb-06113.5116.4111.8
Mar-06114.1117.1112.4
Apr-06115.8119.2113.9
May-06118.2122.3115.8
Jun-06120.3125.5117.4
Jul-06123129.5119.5
Aug-06125.8133.3121.6
Sep-06126.8133.5123.1
Oct-06127.6134.4123.8
Nov-06127.6133.9124.1
Dec-06128.6134.1125.5
Jan-07129.7134.3127.1
Feb-07130.3135127.7
Mar-07130.5133.7128.6
Apr-07131134129.2
May-07130.6132.7129.3
Jun-07130.3133128.7
Jul-07130.6133.7128.8
Aug-07130.4133128.8
Sep-07130.4133.3128.7
Oct-07130133.3128.1
Nov-07130132.2128.7
Dec-07129.2130.5128.4
Jan-08128.1127.5128.2
Feb-08127126.8126.9
Mar-08125.9126.1125.6
Apr-08124.8126.1124.1
May-08123.5126.2122.1
Jun-08122.3124.9120.9
Jul-08121.6123.4120.5
Aug-08120.3121.7119.5
Sep-08118.8117.5119.1
Oct-08116.2113.4117.2
Nov-08114.1110.2115.7
Dec-08111.9108113.5
Jan-09109105110.8
Feb-09106100.3108.5
Mar-09103.296.6106.3
Apr-09100.992.9104.6
May-0998.590.9102.1
Jun-0996.989.8100.2
Jul-0995.588.998.5
Aug-0994.38996.6
Sep-0994.288.696.8
Oct-0993.186.696.2
Nov-0992.88596.4
Dec-0991.583.295.5
Jan-1090.681.195.2
Feb-1089.279.294.1
Mar-1088.177.593.6
Apr-1087.677.392.8
May-1086.176.590.7
Jun-1085.175.589.9
Jul-1084.27588.8
Aug-108475.487.9
Sep-108375.286.2
Oct-1081.67484.6
Nov-1079.972.582.9
Dec-1078.771.281.8
Jan-117870.581.3
Feb-1176.56979.8
Mar-1174.767.178.1
Apr-1173.766.676.6
May-1172.465.575.2
Jun-1171.364.674.1
Jul-1169.863.672.2
Aug-116862.370
Sep-1166.660.668.9
Oct-1165.459.467.7
Nov-1164.358.166.9
Dec-1163.35766.1
Jan-1262.35665.1
Feb-1260.954.563.9
Mar-1261.254.964.1
Apr-1260.254.762.4
May-126054.762
Jun-1259.95561.5
Jul-1260.556.161.5
Aug-1260.656.861
Sep-1261.157.561.2
Oct-1261.35861.1
Nov-1261.158.460.3
Dec-1261.359.160
Jan-1360.258.658.3
Feb-1359.557.658.1
Mar-1358.757.256.8
Apr-135957.956.7
May-135958.356.2
Jun-1360.560.456.9
Jul-136262.657.4
Aug-1362.864.257.5
Sep-1363.865.358.3
Oct-1364.265.758.7
Nov-1364.566.558.4
Dec-1365.367.359.1
Jan-1465.467.658.9
Feb-1465.66859.1
Mar-1466.16958.9
Apr-1467.57159.5
May-1469.373.660.5
Jun-1471.376.661.2
Jul-1473.579.762.3
Aug-1474.981.563.3
Sep-1476.583.564.4
Oct-1477.38465.5
Nov-1477.683.866.3
Dec-147782.666.4
Jan-1577.38366.6
Feb-157782.666.5
Mar-1577.382.567
Apr-1577.982.668.1
May-1578.883.269.2
Jun-1580.184.370.5
Jul-1580.784.771.2
Aug-1581.785.672.2
Sep-158285.572.8
Oct-1582.986.673.5
Nov-1582.686.273.4
Dec-1582.585.873.5
Jan-1683.28773.8
Feb-1682.786.473.5
Mar-168386.673.8
Apr-1683.587.174.2
May-1683.786.874.7
Jun-1684.58776.1
Jul-1686.488.178.5
Aug-1687.689.479.5
Sep-1688.690.880.1
Oct-1689.19180.7
Nov-1690.292.181.9
Dec-1689.991.581.7
Jan-1790.59282.4
Feb-1790.792.282.7
Mar-1791.192.882.8
Apr-1791.492.184.1
May-1792.894.584.4
Jun-1794.196.385.1
Jul-1796.498.587.4
Aug-1797.999.988.8
Sep-1799.210190.2
Oct-1799.5101.590.4
Nov-17100.3101.891.6
Dec-17100.8102.292.1
Jan-18101.2102.892.4
Feb-18102103.792.9
Mar-18102.6103.794.1
Apr-18103.6104.195.7
May-18104.3104.896.2
Jun-18105.3104.998
July-18106105.898.5
Aug-18106.6106.698.8
Sept-18107.6107.599.8
Oct-18107.8107.8100
Nov-18107.5107100
Dec-18107.1106.1100.2
Open in Excel:

The total of 45,276 residential property transactions by households at market prices was filed with the Revenue Commissioners in 2019. The combined value of these transactions was €13.4 billion. The median price of dwellings sold nationally in 2019 was €259,000.

In 2019 the Eircode area with the highest median price for household dwelling purchases was A94 'Blackrock' (€612,500). The ten most expensive Eircode areas by median price in 2019 were in Dublin. The Eircode area with the next highest median price was D06 ‘Dublin 6’, where the median price was €572,500. The third most expensive area was A96 ‘Glenageary’, which had a median price of €565,000.

The least expensive Eircode area within Dublin was D10 'Dublin 10', with a median price of €230,000.

Outside Dublin the most expensive Eircode area in 2019 was A63 'Greystones', with a median price of €429,999. The second most expensive Eircode area was A98 'Bray', where the median price was €353,000. The third most expensive area was A85 'Dunshaughlin', which had a median price of €348,500.

The least expensive Eircode area in 2019 was F45 'Castlerea', with a median price of €80,000. The second least expensive Eircode area was H23 'Clones', where the median price was €81,500, and the third least expensive area was F35 'Ballyhaunis', which had a median price of €85,000.

Interactive Table: StatBank HPA04

Table 15.5 Value and Volume Indices of Production in all Building and Construction
Base year 2015=100
  Total Production in all Building and Construction
  Value of Production Volume of Production
Year IndexAnnual % change IndexAnnual % change
2009 132.6-37.7 135.5-36.9
2010 93.9-29.2 94.9-30.0
2011 76.0-19.1 78.7-17.1
2012 74.9-1.4 76.9-2.3
2013 83.811.9 85.411.1
2014 91.99.7 92.78.5
2015 100.18.9 100.18.0
2016 113.213.1 112.412.3
2017 133.217.7 130.015.7
2018155.016.4 147.013.1
2019171.810.8 159.28.3
Source: CSO

The Production in Building and Construction Index provides quarterly statistics on output in the sector. The index monitors trends in the value and the volume of production in building and construction. The index is primarily intended to function as a short-term indicator.

The principal difference between the value and volume indices is that the value index measures changes in the value of work done while the volume index tracks the quantitative volume of production by excluding the effect of price changes using a price deflator. The Capital Goods price index for Building and Construction is used as the price deflator for this series.

Output in total building and construction increased by 10.8% in 2019 when compared with 2018. Between 2009 and 2019, the volume of output in building and construction increased by 17.5%.

Interactive table: StatBank BEA04

Link to release: Production in Building and Construction

ValueVolume
2009132.6135.5
201093.994.9
20117678.7
201274.976.9
201383.885.4
201491.992.7
2015100.1100.1
2016113.2112.4
2017133.2130
2018155147
2019171.8159.2

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