Record year for social housing construction with more than 9,000 homes delivered
Local authority building programmes drive highest annual output of new social homes in the history of the State
5 March 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
A record 9,089 new-build social homes were delivered across Ireland in 2025, according to new figures published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The annual output represents a 16% increase on 2024, when 7,833 new social homes were completed, and marks the highest level of new-build social housing delivery since the foundation of the State.
The figures highlight a significant scale-up in delivery by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, with several councils delivering large programmes during the year.
Dublin City Council recorded the highest output nationally with 1,375 homes, followed by South Dublin County Council with 816 and Fingal County Council with 759. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council delivered 538 homes, meaning the four Dublin local authorities accounted for 3,488 homes, or almost 38% of all new-build social housing delivered in 2025.
Outside the capital, Cork City Council delivered 472 homes, while Cork County Council completed 400. Other significant outputs included Louth County Council with 562 homes, Meath County Council with 457, Kildare County Council with 398, and Wexford County Council with 341.
Mid-sized programmes were delivered in several counties including Kerry (289 homes), Tipperary (232), Limerick City and County Council (235) and Laois (204). Smaller authorities delivered lower volumes, including Leitrim with 33 homes and Longford with 12 homes.
Publishing the figures, Minister for Housing James Browne said the scale of delivery reflects the expansion of local authority building programmes and increased construction activity nationwide.
“We are now seeing an unprecedented level of delivery of new-build social homes, with 2025 representing the largest number constructed since the foundation of the State,” he said.
“This reflects the scaling up of local authority building programmes, increased output from Approved Housing Bodies and the acceleration of construction activity across the country.”
The Minister said the focus now is on maintaining and expanding delivery to ensure more households benefit from secure housing.
The Department also pointed to several policy changes introduced during the past year aimed at accelerating delivery, including the introduction of a single-stage approval process, the mandated use of standard house layouts in the Design Manual for Quality Housing, the establishment of a Housing Activation Office, and updated Employers’ Requirements for Detailed Design of Quality Housing.
