CSO reveals average hourly earnings in the construction sector as home commencements rise [Video]

The number of home commencements in the first nine months of the year has more than doubled on the same time last year.

The drive to get more houses built has begun to bear fruit as the rate of housing construction accelerated over the past 12 months.

Between January to September of this year there were 49,007 home commencements, up from 23,923 for the same period in 2023.

Although there are signs the pace of building may be difficult to maintain.

In the first three quarters of 2024, there were 21,634 new dwelling completions, a decline of 3.1% from the same period in 2023.

And the number of houses approved for planning has dropped slightly in Q2 compared to the same time last year.

There was a decrease of 2.4% from 8,723 approved in Q2 2023 to 8,513 units over the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, in the 12 months to August 2024, house prices in Dublin rose …