Slow start for Irish house builds in 2015

There has been a “dramatic” slowdown in residential construction activity in the early part of this year, following significant increases in residential planning applications and construction project commencements last year.

Latest data from the independent planning research company Link2Plans show that planning applications rose by 12% and project commencements were up by 30% last year.

Much of the increase in activity occured in the first quarter of 2014, ahead of the introduction of new building regulations. As a result, growth in project commencements fell from 66% to 30% from the mid-way point of last year.