Louth sees increase in home starts but growth remains slow
Work commenced on 383 new homes in Louth in the first six months of this, up from the same period last year, but down on the four years prior to that
Latest figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show that there was an increase in July in the number of homes on which construction started, compared to both the previous month, and the same month last year, but also show that year to date figures remain some way behind that in the four years prior to 2025.
Work started on 103 new homes in Louth in July, up from just 13 in June, and also up from 89 in July 2025. Of the 103 new homes, eight were one off units; 51 were part of a multi-unit development; and 44 were apartments.
80 new apartments have been commenced in Louth so far this year, up on just 13 in total in 2025. Work has commenced on 383 new homes in the first seven months of this year in Louth, up from 258 in the first seven months of last year.
This figure remains some way behind the 1,604 homes that were commenced in Louth in the first seven months of 2024 however. It is also lower than the 820 commenced during the same period in 2023, 469 in 2022, and 722 in the first seven months of 2021.
Nationally, work commenced on 3,028 new homes in July, up from 2,826 in June, and also up on 1,125 in July of last year. So far this year, work has commenced on 18,974 new homes in the State.
While this is up significantly on the 7,539 that were commenced during the same period last year, it is not far off half the number commenced in the first seven months of 2024, when work began on 36,322 new homes across the State.
The 18,974 commenced in the first seven months of 2026, is just slightly higher than the 18,546 commenced during the same period in 2023; is up from 16,587 in the first seven months of 2022; and just marginally up on the 18,861 commenced in the first seven months of 2021.
Commenting on the latest figures, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, said: “Momentum in the housing sector is seeing an uptick and these are strong figures as we move into the second half of the year.
“I have set ambitious targets in the Housing Action Plan and we need to keep our shoulder firmly to the wheel. I want more homes delivered and thousands of people are counting on that progress. I’m under no illusion about it.
“Commencements aren’t the be all and end all, and in my view the real measure is always final delivery and keys in the hand of a homeowner or a family supported with housing.
“But commencement rates do mark a critical milestone in development and they also give key insight into the health of the sector and what’s to come in the coming months.”