Writes Ciaran Dineen
There were 29,851 new dwelling completions in 2022, including 9,148 in the fourth quarter and a total of 323 in the Carrigaline Local Electoral Area (LEA).
That is according to new data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), who added that this is a 45.2% increase from the completions from 20,553 over the whole of 2021 and for the quarter a 31.4% rise from 6,952 in Q4 2021.
The primary data source used for the New Dwellings Completions series is the ESB Networks new domestic connections dataset, where the date that the connection is energized determines the date of completion. It is accepted that the ESB domestic connections dataset is overestimating new dwellings and the CSO has adjusted for this overcount by using additional information from the ESB and other data sources.
The new statistics come following recent reports that the Irish housing market requires thousands more homes per annum than the current target outlined in the Government’s Housing For All policy. Recently, The Irish Times reported that research by the Housing Commission says Ireland may need up to 62,000 homes built annually until 2050 to meet demand, almost double the current target.
The 323 total accrued over the course of the year in the Carrigaline LEA is a figure that is spread over the district area, including towns such as Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Ballygarvan, Passage West, Ringaskiddy and Monkstown. The amount constructed in the LEA is the largest since its formation in 2019, following the Local Elections, thus marking a new high over a 4-year period.
The number of new completions in the area for Q4 picked up slightly from Q3, with 90 completions over this period of time last year. This figure also represents the third largest number of completions recorded for a quarter since Q1 2019.