Cork has highest number of housing planning approvals as State levels highest in five years

There were 11,912 dwelling units approved for planning permission in the State in the second quarter of the year, the highest number of approvals in any quarter in five years. Cork had the highest proportion of houses granted planning permission at 23.3% (1,459 houses) of the total.

There were 11,912 dwelling units approved for planning permission in the State in the second quarter of the year, the highest number of approvals in any quarter in five years.

The approvals between April and June were an increase of 60% on comparable figures for the equivalent period in 2025, when 7,447 units were approved. it is the highest number of units approved since Q4 2021, when 13,450 units were green lighted.

Houses accounted for 53% (6,275) of all dwelling units granted planning permission in Q2 2026. The South-West region - Cork and Kerry - made up the highest number of houses (1,536) granted planning, while the Midlands region recorded the lowest number of houses (257).

Apartments made up the remaining 47% (5,637) of all units granted permission. “The number of apartments approved increased by 107% when compared with Q2 2025, while the total number of houses approved rose by 33% over the same period," said CSO statistician Shane O'Sullivan.

Cork had the highest proportion of houses granted planning permission at 23.3% (1,459 houses) of the total in the State between April and June. Housing approvals in Cork were 92.7% higher (757 units to 1,459 units) than the equivalent period in 2025. Dublin had the second highest number of houses granted planning permission at 13.2% (829 houses), followed by Clare at 7.5% (469 houses). Longford had the lowest proportion of houses granted planning permission with just nine houses.

Overall, Cork had the second largest number of dwelling units approved in Q2 2026 at 3,234 units, of which apartments approved rose by 302% (441 units to 1,775 units). During the same period, the Midlands region (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath) recorded the lowest number of apartment units (65) granted planning permission. 

Across the four local authorities of Dublin, there was an annual increase of 78.5% in the total number of dwelling units approved in Q2 2026 to 3,241 units. The number of apartments approved was up by 95.6% (1,233 units to 2,412 units), while the number of houses approved rose by 42.2% (583 units to 829 units). The 3,241 dwelling units approved in Dublin made up a quarter (27%) of all dwelling units in the State granted permission in Q2 2026.

Use of the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process - where applications of at least 100 residential units or 200+ student bed spaces can be made directly to An Coimisiún Pleanála - increased considerably in Q2 2026, with an annual increase of 157% (2,465 to 6,345) in the total number of SHD dwelling units approved. Of the 6,275 houses granted planning permission, 36.6% (2,295) were granted under the SHD process.