Planning permissions jumped 21% last year with apartments accounting for over half

The number of planning permissions granted for new homes last year jumped by more than a fifth, with apartment units accounting for more than half the total.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show the number of dwelling units granted planning in 2023 rose by 21 per cent to 41,225 units.

The number of houses granted planning permission increased by 13 per cent to 19,738 while apartment permissions rose by 28.5 per cent to 21,487 units.

Dublin accounted for 64 per cent (13,833 units) of all apartments approved in 2023, followed by Cork at 14 per cent (2,918 units) and Meath at 3 per cent (685 units).

Wave of innovation aims to make desalination sustainable

---

Smart heater gives greater control over comfort and cost

---

Helping stressed-out GPs manage staffing issues in the workplace

---

Card data suggests it’s not all doom and gloom in the hospitality sector

---

In terms of house units granted planning permission in 2023, Dublin accounted for the largest number of houses with 4,776 units (24 per cent) followed by Cork with 2,676 units (14 per cent) and Meath with 1,288 units (7 per cent).

While planning permissions do not necessarily turn into actual homes, they are an indicator of future supply. The latest figures will be seen as a boost for the Government’s Housing for All strategy, which targets 34,600 completions this year, 36,100 in 2025 and 36,900 in 2026.

The latest planning figures come in the wake of BNP Paribas data for the construction sector here, which pointed to a slump in residential activity in February. The head of research at BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, John McCartney, said the rapid rise in home completions could “stall a bit in 2024″, putting the Government’s target for the year “at risk”.

The CSO figures show there was an annual rise of 40 per cent in the number of multi-development houses receiving planning permission in 2023, compared with a decline of 27 per cent in one-off houses.

There was an annual increase of 35 per cent in the total number of Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) dwelling units approved.

• Sign up for Business push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
• Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
• Our Inside Business podcast is published weekly - Find the latest episode here