According to new figures by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) planning permissions for new homes increased in 2025, signifying an increase in development activity after a sharp decline in 2024.

In 2025, the number of apartments granted planning permission rose by 8.8% when compared with 2024, while house approvals were up 7.3%. There was an annual increase of 8.5% in the number of multi-development houses receiving planning permission in 2025, compared with a rise of 3.9% in one-off houses.

Planning permissions are considered an important indicator of future building, with observers forecasting that more than 50,000 homes need to be built annually to tackle the crisis.

There were 20,615 houses granted planning permission in 2025, which was the highest number in 16 years since 26,814 houses were approved in 2009.

Across the four local authorities of Dublin, planning permission was granted for 7,366 apartments in 2025, up 20.3% when compared with 2024. Dublin accounted for more than half (51%) of all apartments granted planning permission in the state in 2025.

The CSO also published figures for the last three months of 2025 which showed there was a 19% increase in planning permission compared to same period a year earlier.

The Government has a target of building 300,000 homes between 2025 and the end of 2030. A significant increase in housing output will be required, as last year 36,284 homes were built in Ireland.

In Quarter 4 (Q4) 2025, the total number of dwelling units approved planning permission was up 19% to 8,208 units compared with 6,890 units in Q4 2024.

Planning permissions granted for houses rose by 22% in Q4 2025 compared with Q4 2024, while apartment unit permissions granted during the same period were up 16%.

Between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, an annual growth of 27% was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for all developments, with 7,455 permissions approved in Q4 2025 compared with 5,878 in Q4 2024.

Lorcan Sirr, housing policy analyst, and lecturer at Technological University Dublin, told RTÉ News that planning permissions does not always translate into more homes being built. He stated around 35% of planning permissions “never get built.”

While CSO statistician Shane O’Sullivan said the data showed a clear year-on-year increase in approvals both annually and in the final quarter of 2025, indicating renewed momentum in planning activity across the housing sector.

 

NB – This is a guide for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have an issue requiring legal advice, please contact any of the team at Nolan Farrell & Goff LLP, whose numbers can be found on our website www.nfg.ie, or email info@nfg.ie.