Figures show house building nearing halt

JUST over 1,700 houses were commenced in the first four months of this year, compared to a staggering 25,784 at the height of the housing bubble in 2006.

Latest figures from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government for house completions, registrations and commencements, show the boom house-building of the earlier part of this decade has now almost ground to a halt.

In April of 2011, just 349 houses were commenced. This stands in stark contrast to the 6,783 houses which started up in the same month in 2006.