Commencement began on close to 1,000 homes in Louth in April

Commencement data released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today, shows that commencement began on 970 new homes in Louth in April, a huge increase on previous months, and more than double the total amount of commencements in the first three months of this year.

For comparison, commencement began on 123 homes in Louth in March, 213 in February, and 25 in January. The rise in the number of commencements in April, means that the total number of commencements this year so far (1,331) already exceeds the 1,118 commencements in Louth during the whole of 2023.

Nationally, the latest data shows a significant spike in activity with 18,182 homes commenced in April, a massive increase on 4,900 in March and on the 2,579 commencements in April of last year. It is by far the highest seen in any month since the series began in 2014.

From January to April 2024, 30,138 new homes have begun construction – up 204% on the same four-month period of 2023. In the last 12 months (May 2023 to April 2024) construction on 53,011 homes has commenced.

Of the 18,182 units commenced in April 2024, 47% are scheme dwellings, 45% are apartments and 8% are for one-off units.

A Commencement Notice is a notification to a Building Control Authority that a person intends to carry out either works or a Material Change of Use to which the Building Regulations apply. The notice must be given to the authority not more than 28 days and not less than 14 days before the commencement of works or the change of use.

Once validated by the building control authority, works must commence on site within the 28 day period.