Record number of new homes built in a year
A record 93,419 houses and apartments were built in 2006 – a 15% jump on the previous year and the highest rate in Europe, official figures showed today.
The 2006 level is twice that of 1999 and the 13th consecutive annual increase, according to Housing Minister Noel Ahern.
A third of all houses and apartments were built in the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin City and County, Counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
Ireland is now producing homes at a rate of over 20 per 1,000 residents – the highest in Europe.
“That is a phenomenal level and demonstrates the capacity of Government policy to respond to the strong demand for housing,” Mr Ahern said.
A total of 19,470 units were built in Co Dublin and almost 30,000 in the Greater Dublin Area.
Houses accounted for almost 79% of the completions nationally, 41% in Dublin and 56% in the Greater Dublin Area.
Apartments accounted for 21% of all new constructions in 2006.
“I am very pleased to see the strong growth in housing completions continues to be experienced both across the country, and in the highly populated areas of Dublin and the Greater Dublin area,” Mr Ahern said.
New house registrations for the year 2006 of 66,649 were also up by 7%.
“There are positive indications that house building will remain strong in the short to medium term.
“There was a 7% increase in new house registrations in the past year, and there are significant tracts of serviced zoned land currently available for residential development,” the TD added.
