House completion figures fell by a third last year

HOUSE completions fell by a third last year, again confirming the collapse in the construction sector.

Figures published by the Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, Michael Finneran, showed that 51,724 houses and apartments were completed last year, down 26,303 units compared with 2007.

The plummeting rate of house completions affected both urban and rural areas alike, with Limerick City Council the only local authority area to have an increase in house completions in 2008 compared with the previous year.