Planning permissions for new homes jumped by 60% in the second quarter of the year.
That’s according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which found that the total number of dwelling units approved between April and June was 11,912 - up from 7,447 in the same quarter of 2025.
The latest quarterly figures also amounted to the highest number of units approved since Q4 2021 when 13,450 new homes were given the go ahead.
Planning permissions are an imperfect guide to future building activity as many permissions never translate into homes given the uncertainty around infrastructure. Still, they can signpost shortcomings in the years ahead. Permissions have averaged around 35,000 a year since 2021.
Houses accounted for 53% (6,275) of all dwelling units granted planning permission in Q2 2026, while apartments made up the remaining 47% (5,637).
Meanwhile, the number of apartments granted planning permission rose by 107% when compared with Q2 2025, while the total number of house approvals was up by 33%.
The number of multi-development houses receiving planning permission was also up by 41.5% annually, from 3,565 units in Q2 2025 to 5,046 units in Q2 2026.
There was slower growth when it came to one-off houses, which rose by 6.2% in the period, up from 1,157 units in Q2 2025 to 1,229 units in Q2 2026.
In Q2 2026, there was an increase of 16.2% in the number of individual planning permissions granted for all developments, with 8,202 permissions approved compared with 7,058 permissions in Q2 2025.
Across the four local authorities of Dublin, there was an annual increase of 78.5% in the total number of dwelling units approved in Q2 2026 to 3,241 units. Of these, the number of apartments approved was up by 95.6% (1,233 units to 2,412 units), while the number of houses approved rose by 42.2% (583 units to 829 units).
Cork had the second largest number of dwelling units approved in Q2 2026 at 3,234 units, of which apartments approved rose by 302% (441 units to 1,775 units) and houses approved were up by 92.7% (757 units to 1,459 units).
Dublin had the highest number of apartment units granted planning permission in the State in Q2 2026 at 2,412 apartments or 43% of all apartments and accounted for 13% of house units approved (829). These 3,241 dwelling units approved in Dublin made up a quarter (27%) of all dwelling units granted permission in Q2 2026.
Cork had the second largest number of dwelling units approved at 3,234 units, and between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026 the number of apartments approved rose by 302% (441 units to 1,775 units) and houses approved were up by 92.7% (757 units to 1,459 units).
During the same period, the Midlands region (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath) recorded the lowest number of apartment units (65) granted planning permission. The South-West region (Cork and Kerry) accounted for the highest number of houses (1,536) granted planning, while the Midlands region recorded the lowest number of houses (257).
Of the 8,202 individual applications for planning permissions granted in Q2 2026, there were 1,597 for new construction dwellings, 2,681 for other new constructions, 2,148 for extensions, and 1,776 permissions were for alterations and conversions.
In Q2 2026, there was an annual increase of 157% (2,465 to 6,345) in the total number of Strategic Housing Developments (SHD) dwelling units approved, of which the number of apartments approved rose by 230%, compared with an increase of 85% in the number of houses approved.
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