Nearly 50 commencement notices issued in county Longford so far in 2026

Almost 50 commencement notices have been issued in county Longford so far this year, according to the Department of Housing's monthly figures.

Commencement notices give notice to the building control authority of the intention to carry out any works or a change of use on their property.

There has been 48 in county Longford so far this year and 47 in county Leitrim,

The latest figures released today by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show that 3,028 new homes were commenced in July.

That equates to an increase of 169% compared to the same period last year, when 1,125 new homes were commenced.

This brings the total number of new homes commenced since the start of the year to 18,974, up 152% from the 7,539 homes commenced in the first seven months of 2025 and representing the second highest number of new homes since recording began in 2014.

The positive momentum observed in the first seven months of this year builds on strong figures for 2024 and 2025 combined when a total of 85,723 new homes were commenced, an increase of 43% compared with the combined total for the previous two-year period (2022 and 2023).

Housing MinisterJames Browne 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.”