Planning permissions were granted for 8,584 housing units during the third quarter, down 43.9 per cent when compared to the 15,293 units in the same three-month period a year earlier.
According to new statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), planning permissions for houses fell by 53.5 per cent year-on-year from 11,532 in the third quarter of 2008 to 5,362 in the same quarter this year.
During the same 12-month period permissions for apartment units fell 14.3 per cent form 3,761 to 3,222.
One-off houses accounted for 24.6 per cent of all new dwelling units granted during the third quarter.
The total number of planning permissions granted for all developments declined 39 per cent year-on-year the figures show.
Planning permissions for new buildings for Agriculture decreased to 203 in the third quarter, down from 314 permissions in the same three-month period a year earlier.
