March Sees Record Low in Housing Commencement Notices Across Ireland
In March 2025, Ireland witnessed a significant drop in housing commencement notices, with only 723 homes beginning the construction process. This figure marks the lowest since February 2021, when just 522 homes were initiated. The data, released by the Department of Housing, highlights a concerning slowdown compared to previous months. February saw 1,017 homes commenced, while January had 1,178. The contrast is even starker when compared to March 2024, which saw a robust 4,909 homes initiated, over six times the current year’s figure.
Despite the downturn in March, there is a silver lining regarding the government’s housing targets. Over a rolling 12-month period from April 2024 to March 2025, a total of 59,989 homes were commenced, reflecting a 60% increase from the previous year, which recorded 37,441 commencements. This suggests a broader upward trend in housing starts, despite the recent monthly dip.
Among local authorities, Dublin City led the way with 937 homes commenced so far this year, followed by Meath with 245 and Kildare with 228. These numbers indicate that while March was a slow month, certain areas are still seeing significant construction activity.
Housing experts caution against using commencement notices as the sole measure of construction activity. Previous investigations have shown that these figures can sometimes merely represent the filing of a notice to build a housing development or apartment block, without actual construction taking place.
Last year’s surge in housing commencement notices in Ireland has raised eyebrows, not because it signals a dramatic uptick in actual construction, but due to the influence of temporary government incentives. In 2023 and 2024, developers rushed to file commencement notices to avail of waivers on development levies and water connection charges, which were initially due to expire in early 2024 but later extended. This created a spike – despite no obligation to begin building immediately. Filing a commencement notice is relatively low-cost, allowing developers to secure the financial benefits without committing to construction.
