Planning approvals up 9% in final quarter of 2007

The number of houses and apartments granted planning permission in the final quarter of last year was up 9% on the previous year, despite the downturn in the property market.

The Central Statistics Office says almost 17,800 units were approved in the last three months of 2007.

The number of houses granted permission was up just 0.5% to just over 13,000, while the number of apartments approved was up 44% to around 4,500.