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Sunday Property Round-Up 11th January 2026


Weekly Irish property market news and insights – for the industry, by the industry  

Message from Carol Tallon:

What the latest planning, construction and property data tells us this week❓

The first set of planning stats and property price data of 2026 confirms a housing and commercial market under pressure – not overheating, not correcting, but constrained.

Prices continue to sit at historically high levels. The average Dublin asking price now stands at €611,000, while the number of homes for sale remains less than half of pre-Covid levels. Nationally, house price growth has eased to 5.4%. Asking prices were broadly flat in late 2025, but transaction momentum is weakening – driven by lack of supply rather than lack of demand.

Supply remains the binding constraint across the system. There are just 12,200 homes for sale nationally, with new-builds carrying a disproportionate share of market activity. This is increasing pressure on delivery timelines, infrastructure capacity and labour availability.

Demand is being sustained almost entirely by first-time buyers. Mortgage approvals for first-time buyers are at record levels, while home movers continue to fall back as choice evaporates. This is not a balanced market. It is a funnel.

State intervention is no longer marginal; it is structural. Nearly 9,000 first-time buyers have now been approved under the First Home Scheme, with average support exceeding €66,000 and approvals concentrated in five counties.

Within Dublin, fragmentation is accelerating. According to the County Dublin House Price Guide published by The Times (Ireland edition), sponsored by AIB, the market is split by both location and price band. Commuter towns continue to outperform. Prime coastal locations are more stable at the top end. Some areas are recording sales up to 20% over asking due to ultra-low stock. Sub-€1m homes are outperforming as demand softens above that threshold.

On delivery, further phases of the Planning and Development Act 2024 are now taking effect, introducing ten-year development plans, new area-based planning tools and stronger national oversight of zoning and housing strategies. The challenge is no longer legislative. It is implementation. Local political resistance remains a live issue (Killarney story within).

Government has also flagged its own delivery risks. Internal communications planning identifies public misunderstanding and misinformation, inaccurate media representation, and erosion of stakeholder trust as real threats to progress.

Land activation remains weak. The land-hoarding tax raised less than €50m in its first year. Rental policy also remains unsettled, with a proposed ‘rent brake’ among 11 recommendations tied to the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill, with measures expected from 1 March.

Construction safety has returned sharply to focus. HSA data shows construction fatalities doubled year-on-year, with overall workplace deaths up 61%. Delivery targets are meaningless without workforce safety.

Energy and infrastructure are now direct delivery variables. SEAI reports the lowest energy emissions in over 30 years, but structural constraints persist across buildings, transport and grid capacity. MARA’s new offshore consent framework signals progress, but not capacity yet.

This is a market being held together by first-time buyers, State intervention and constrained supply. Until delivery capacity, infrastructure investment and planning implementation align, pressure will remain.

*EMERGENCY RESPONSE: We repeat the call for Government to take action under recommendation #1 of the Housing Commission’s report to ❛❛Recognise and prioritise dealing with Ireland’s housing deficit [as distinct to ongoing/future demand] and address it through emergency action❜❜.

As always, you can contact me in confidence at carol@caroltallon.com.

PROPERTY DISTRICT PRESS OFFICE 

Below are the local and international stories that might be of particular interest:

If you missed last week’s round-up, you can catch up here: https://ipropertyradio.com/sunday-property-round-up/ 
As always, you might let me know if I have missed out on any relevant property news by emailing carol@caroltallon.com 

PLACEMAKING: https://placeengage.com

Open public consultations and community engagement, in association with the Public Consultation Institute of Ireland

  • Beautiful – Sustainable – Together: Aligned with Aarhus Convention transparency and New European Bauhaus principles, PLACEengage empowers communities, planners, and developers across Ireland’s public and private sectors to collaborate more effectively — Learn more at www.PLACEengage.com PLACEengage: Better placemaking, together.
  • PLACEMAKING: Communities are not a risk to be managed. They are a source of local knowledge, lived experience and better outcomes. Development owners who engage meaningfully build stronger places. Place Engage can help 🔗https://placeengage.com  

Rural, Coastal & Islands

  • The above image is our starting point for understanding – with a view to reconciling – the current Government’s plan for meeting the growing housing needs of rural Ireland: 36% of the population! Despite policy commitments, rural proofing remains inadequately applied –failing rural communities, particularly those up and down the west coast. In counties like Clare, Galway, Kerry & Mayo, environmental protections (e.g. SPAs) often overlap with high rural housing demand. The result? Planning refusals for one-off homes, even for those with deep-rooted ties to place, resulting in a loss of the social capital needed to advocate for local fairness. This also flies in the face of a ‘just transition’ . When climate and environmental policies limit where rural people can live without offering realistic alternatives – such as serviced sites or clustered housing – equity is lost. Rural Ireland is not a problem to be managed. It’s a place to be planned for – fairly, sustainably, and with local voices at the centre. *The Place Engage team will be hosting a Rural Roundtable in the midlands on Monday, 9th February for anyone looking to develop/deliver housing in 2026/2027: Email carol@caroltallon.com to join us.

CONSTRUCTION: https://breakingground.news 

Breaking Ground News: Appointments & #ConstructionCareers

  • BGN Construction Careers, your weekly newsletter from Breaking Ground news, keeps you updated on the latest job opportunities, while showcasing the very best employer brands and projects, across Ireland’s construction industry. Whether you are looking for your next role or planning your career path, stay connected with us for new openings, upskilling opportunities and industry news.

Get all the latest job details straight to your inbox: Sign up https://breakingground.news/sign-up-form/

PODCAST:  

🎙Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes

We had the opportunity to sit down with Ciaran Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes for iProperty Radio in the stunning showhouse at Scotts Avenue in Tullamore – and what makes this conversation so different is that we went right back to the very beginning.We talked about how Ciaran and the team got their first development off the ground, despite Ireland’s high-risk, policy-uncertain environment? 

Ciaran breaks it down step-by-step:

➡️ Moving from ambition to action

➡️ Structuring that crucial first deal

➡️ Securing partners, investment and lending support

➡️Managing planning and delivery risk 

➡️Building trust while still building a track record

This is the conversation I would love to have heard a decade and a half ago.For anyone who believes in Ireland’s ability to build – and wants to be part of it – this is essential listening.We also discuss how Fitzpatrick & Heavey Homes is on track to break ground on 10,000 new homes over the next three years; their partnership-led land strategy, including absorbing RZLT to unlock stalled sites; expansion into materials and supply chain to control delivery certainty; and a business model built around speed, pragmatism and community-scale impact.

Ciaran and his team are navigating risk – not waiting for it to disappear. And that’s the kind of leadership this industry needs right now.

Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII, iProperty Radio 

Watch in full:  https://youtu.be/1PPqySeEaPY?si=ACxG3ytFAhDQoXfR

Watch the entire 2025 series:  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vn4kQvpi97pAaD3c5WnLAt9&si=C5bqwRS_l6rwUY4X

CIF Safety Campaign 2025 Podcast 

🎙MMC: “We can’t have an industry that relies on one framework, we need more pipeline”

With offsite construction playing a greater role than ever in housing and infrastructure delivery, Carol Tallon sits down with Denise Tuffy, Specialist Contracting Director at the Construction Industry Federation, to discuss the work of the Smart Off-site Association (SOsA). Denise shares members’ perspectives on current government PMV targets, standout projects, and the opportunities ahead including Vision Built’s pioneering traineeships to Cygnum’s 70% manufacturing expansion. Representing leading companies including Actavo, CPAC Modular, Procon Modular, Lidan Designs, Cygnum, Vision-Built, Adston, Extraspace, Manley Timber Frame, Castle Group, MMC Eco Homes, and G-Frame Structure, Denise talks of how collaboration and support can drive the delivery of homes, schools, and healthcare projects.

Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII, iProperty Radio 

Watch in full:  https://youtu.be/futptlDd9mk?si=ma6HF04OhfzFTs3o

Watch the entire series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vnhCbgSqe6T8TJTfB9mvD6C&si=ity7U_ANvSSyc0bU

REAL ESTATE: www.irishrealestate.news

Residential 

  • County Dublin property prices are entering 2026 with a clear split emerging across the market. According to the County Dublin House Price Guide published by The Times (Ireland edition), sponsored by AIB, prices rose as expected through 2025, but the scale of bidding wars surprised many buyers. With landlords continuing to exit the market and overall supply remaining tight, competition is reshaping outcomes across the county. Commuter towns such as Swords and Malahide are seeing stronger growth, while established coastal locations like Howth and Skerries are showing more stability, particularly at the top end. In west Dublin, intense competition for limited starter and family homes is driving sharp price increases in areas such as Tallaght and Lucan, with sub-€1m homes outperforming as demand softens above that threshold. Across the southside, from traditional pressure points in D6 to more accessible areas including Ringsend, Irishtown, Ballyfermot and Crumlin, tight supply continues to fuel bidding, though price growth is beginning to cool. On the northside, some areas are recording sales up to 20% over asking as demand collides with very low stock, particularly in Finglas, Full 2026 Dublin house price guide, with postcode-level detail and agent insights on what comes next, is available here: https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/dublin-house-price-guide-2026-8jn5frzg6

Property of the week 

HOME OF THE WEEK: South Coast at Woodbrook Emerges as Dublin Coast’s New Homes Highlight – iProperty Radio https://ipropertyradio.com/home-of-the-week-south-coast-at-woodbrook-emerges-as-dublin-coasts-new-homes-highlight/

Commercial 

PODCAST: The Property Roundup on iPropertyRadio.com

🎙Ireland’s Housing Crisis, with Limerick & Galway Auctioneer, Lisa Kearney

On ‘Property Roundup’, we hear from Lisa Kearney, most recent past President of IPAV – Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers, in the Rooney HQ in Limerick to have a frank discussion on Ireland’s housing emergency and affordability problems stopping an entire generation from getting on the property market. Lisa also gives us a look back at the last year of her presidency and what she would like to see going forward.

Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII, iProperty Radio 

Watch in full:  https://youtu.be/I4nKf2eW-7A?si=bqFHJwa5W4wwv5gv

Watch the entire series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vmzomMtdcSXkcYsR6A9Kdno&si=wZl2pnCfpfmFagYB

Produced by Katie Tallon 

All Property Round Up episodes – https://ipropertyradio.com/property-roundup/

FACEBOOK group for homebuyers and investors in Ireland 2024: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IrishPropertyBuyers/ 

Further property resources at: https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Tallon/

PROPTECH, CONSTRUCTION TECH & SMART CITIES: https://prop-tech.ie/

Proptech Ireland is updating the database of 2025 Irish technology providers for the built environment – sign up here: https://prop-tech.ie/register/  and email product or service details to hello@prop-tech.ie

  • Proptech Ireland: Ireland’s CONSTRUCTION and REAL ESTATE ESG technologies resource hub. Confused about how and where to start on your ESG journey? Contact us 👉https://prop-tech.ie

PODCAST: The Proptech Hot Seat on iPropertyRadio.com

🎙MMC: “We can’t have an industry that relies on one framework, we need more pipeline”

With offsite construction playing a greater role than ever in housing and infrastructure delivery, Carol Tallon sits down with Denise Tuffy, Specialist Contracting Director at the Construction Industry Federation, to discuss the work of the Smart Off-site Association (SOsA). Denise shares members’ perspectives on current government PMV targets, standout projects, and the opportunities ahead including Vision Built’s pioneering traineeships to Cygnum’s 70% manufacturing expansion. Representing leading companies including Actavo, CPAC Modular, Procon Modular, Lidan Designs, Cygnum, Vision-Built, Adston, Extraspace, Manley Timber Frame, Castle Group, MMC Eco Homes, and G-Frame Structure, Denise talks of how collaboration and support can drive the delivery of homes, schools, and healthcare projects.

Produced by Katie Tallon MPRII, iProperty Radio 

Watch in full:  https://youtu.be/futptlDd9mk?si=ma6HF04OhfzFTs3o

All previous episodes of the Proptech Hot Seat can be found at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5hAEpymn6vnSmFt4WXloS0IQNfUkdw2G&si=qeT3RSVaXBPX3Sxd

Proptech Hot seat is sponsored by Proptech Ireland, the hub for innovators, investors and industry leaders https://prop-tech.ie/ 

Produced by Katie Tallon, with Hear Me Roar Media on sound https://hearmeroarmedia.com 

All Proptech Hot Seat episodes –  https://ipropertyradio.com/proptech-hot-seat/ 

INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT & BIODIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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