Housing commencements surge 161% as more than 13,000 new homes start construction in first five months of 2026
Latest Department figures show housing starts more than doubled in May, with Dublin accounting for almost half of all new commencements and Fingal leading activity nationwide.
19 June 2026 | đŸ“§Â editor@ipropertyradio.com
New housing commencement activity continued to accelerate in May, with 2,099 new homes starting construction during the month, more than double the level recorded a year earlier, according to new figures published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The latest data shows that housing commencements increased by 103% compared with May 2025, when 1,035 units were started. The strong monthly performance brings the total number of homes commenced in the first five months of 2026 to 13,120, representing a 161% increase on the 5,033 homes commenced during the same period in 2025.
The figures add to what the Department describes as sustained momentum in housing construction activity. Over the two-year period covering 2024 and 2025, a total of 85,723 homes were commenced, an increase of 43% compared with the combined total for 2022 and 2023.
Of the homes commenced in May, 916 units, or 44%, were scheme dwellings within multi-unit housing developments. Apartments accounted for 713 units, representing 34% of commencements, while 470 homes, or 22%, were one-off dwellings.
The Dublin region continued to dominate activity, accounting for 922 commencements during May, equivalent to 44% of all housing starts nationwide. Fingal recorded the highest number of commencements of any local authority area with 299 units, followed by DĂºn Laoghaire-Rathdown with 292 units and South Dublin County Council with 221 units.
Welcoming the figures, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne said the latest data demonstrated that housing delivery momentum remains strong despite ongoing challenges facing the sector.
“Yet again, it is encouraging to see such strong figures when it comes to the number of new homes being started throughout the country,” the Minister said.
He acknowledged that significant challenges remain but said maintaining the current intensity of delivery efforts would be essential to achieving the scale of housing output required.
The Minister said the figures reflected progress under the Government’s Housing Action Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, and pointed to the recent launch of the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund as a key measure aimed at accelerating housing delivery.
The new fund, backed by a €1 billion Government commitment, is intended to unlock housing projects by addressing infrastructure constraints and funding gaps that may be delaying development.
While commencements provide an important indicator of future housing supply, industry observers will continue to monitor how these figures translate into completed homes over the coming years. Recent housing data has highlighted the growing importance of tracking commencements, completions and planning permissions together to assess whether Ireland is on course to meet its housing targets.
The latest commencement figures suggest that development activity remains concentrated in larger urban centres and growth areas, particularly across the Dublin region, where housing demand continues to outstrip supply.
