Slight fall in September but Louth house starts continue to increase
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage figures show a slight fall in the number of new homes on which work began in September but the total number so far in 2026 already exceeds the total started in 2025
There was a slight fall in September in the number of new house commencements in Louth compared to August, according to the latest figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, but the total number of homes commenced so far this year in Louth is already higher than the total number of commencements in the whole of last year.
65 new homes were commenced in Louth in September, down from 114 in August, and also down from 110 in September 2025.
So far in 2026 however, 562 new homes have been commenced in Louth, which is more than the 427 commenced in the whole of last year in Louth.
Of the 65 mew homes commenced in September 2026, five were one off houses and 60 were part of a multi-unit development, or scheme units.
No apartments were commenced in September in Louth, with July being that last month in which work began on new apartments. Work began on 80 new apartments in Louth so far this year, up from 13 during the whole of 2025.
Nationally, work began on 3,682 new homes in September, down from 3,880 in August, but up from 1,656 in September of last year.
So fart this year work has commenced on 26,536 new homes across the country, up from 16,412 during the whole of 2205.
Of the 3,682 new homes commenced in September, 1,320 (36%) are scheme dwellings, 1,955 (53%) are apartments and 407 (11%) are for one-off units.
By Local Authority, the most units commenced were in Dublin City (1,247), followed by Fingal County (390) and Meath County (272).
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD welcomed the latest figures, commenting, “There is strong momentum continuing here. These new home starts are strong and I welcome that.
“They are also a response to a number of critical changes we have made to create an enabling environment for building new homes, which I have been relentless in driving forward.
“For me, final completions are the critical measure of delivery – I want to see keys in the hands of a homeowner or a family supported with housing. Commencement rates give us a good sense of the direction of travel and the pipeline for new homes.”