New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showing an almost 40 per cent drop in planning permissions for apartments last year is further evidence that the government’s housing system is broken, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said:
“These figures are stark and have huge implications for future housing developments.
“Apart from the significant reduction in planning permissions granted for apartments, the CSO data also reveals that the number of new homes approved annually fell by over 21 per cent in 2024.
“It is also deeply concerning that there are around 90,000 homes with planning permission that have not yet been developed.
“For the past decade, successive governments have put all their eggs in the investor fund basket, relying on a completely unsustainable build-to-rent model that only delivers unaffordable homes.
“And even when developments are ready to go – as is the case with thousands of homes to be delivered by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) – we have seen them held up by government funding delays.
“It is now time for the government to admit that its housing strategy is in complete disarray. Clearly, issues such as the building costs of delivering homes, and access to finance, need to be addressed. In addition, there must be more investment in the planning system and critical infrastructure like water and energy connections.
“The latest CSO figures confirm what we already suspected – that the government is going backwards instead of forwards when it comes to housing policy.”
March 12, 2025