Minister Browne welcomes strong momentum in new home commencements

New data released today by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage shows that the number of new homes that were commenced in May was over double the amount for the same period last year. The data suggests the momentum in housing construction output remains strong.

The latest figures show there were 2,099 new homes commenced in May of this year – an

increase of 103% compared to May 2025, when 1,035 units commenced. This now means that since the start of the year, 13,120 new homes have been commenced – an increase of 161% on the 5,033 homes that were commenced in the first five months of 2025.

The positive figures we've seen so far for 2026 are building on strong figures for 2024 and 2025 when a total of 85,723 homes were commenced, representing an increase of 43% compared with the combined total for the previous two-year period (2022 and 2023).

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said:

"Yet again, it is encouraging to see such strong figures when it comes to the number of new homes being started throughout the country – it’s what we all need to see at this stage of the year.

“While it is important to acknowledge the significant challenges now and ahead, it is equally important to highlight that a continued level of intensity of effort will be essential to reach the scale-up required.

“This month’s figures indicates momentum is still moving in the right direction. This reflects the hard work and very real progress we have managed to achieve as set out in our ambitious Housing Action Plan, 'Delivering Homes, Building Communities'.

“The Government is deploying all available measures to accelerate housing delivery, as demonstrated by this week’s launch of the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund backed by a commitment of €1 billion euro aimed at getting in, injecting necessary funding, and resolving blockages to key building projects for the homes we need.”

Of the 2,099 homes commenced in May, 916 (44%) are scheme dwellings, 713 (34%) are apartments, and 470 (22%) are for one-off units. A total of 44% (922 homes) were in the four Dublin local authorities. By Local Authority, the most units commenced were in Fingal County (299), followed by Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown (292), and South Dublin County (221).