Dublin Housing Approvals Down 34% in Q1; National Approvals Fall 1%

The number of homes approved for planning permission in Dublin's four local authorities fell by 34% annually in the first quarter of the year, with 1,452 dwelling units receiving approval. Apartment approvals decreased by 31.6%, while house approvals dropped by 39.7%, from 643 to 388 units.

Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) saw a 43.8% decline in approved dwelling units, with apartment approvals down over 40% and house approvals down over 48%. Nationally, total planning approvals decreased by 1% in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025, from 8,177 to 8,092 units. Houses constituted 61% of national approvals, apartments 39%. Apartment approvals nationally fell by 2.7%, while house approvals remained static.

Multi-development house approvals were down 4% annually, but one-off house approvals rose by 12.4%. Individual planning permissions for all developments increased by 21.7%, from 6,520 to 7,933. These included 1,789 for new dwellings, 2,489 for other new constructions, 2,060 for extensions, and 1,595 for alterations and conversions.

Shane O'Sullivan, CSO Statistician, noted Dublin had the highest number of apartment approvals in Q1 2026 (1,064, or 34% of all apartments) but the lowest number of house approvals (388). The Midlands had the fewest apartment approvals (77), while the South-West (Cork and Kerry) had the most house approvals (1,045). The CSO advises caution when extrapolating long-term trends from single-quarter data due to potential volatility from large developments.