Construction of residential homes has stalled, casting fresh doubt on Government claims that close to 40,000 would be built this year.
New CSO data shows home building fell by 4.1% between the second and third quarters of the year – regarded as the busiest periods for the construction industry.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said during the election campaign that Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien reassured him close to 40,000 homes would be built by year end.
But housing expert Lorcan Sirr, senior lecturer at the Technological University Dublin, said: “I don’t know where that figure’s coming from.
“They’re basing it all on commencement notices but a commencement notice isn’t a completion, so it’s obvious that they’re basing it on the wrong metric.”
The CSO figures show the overall volume of construction was up by just 0.9% between May, June, July and July, August, September.
Although non-residential building, such as offices, increased, construction of …