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E-mail: business_stats@cso.ie Seán Clancy (+353) 21 4535500
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COVID-19 Release Information

This release has been compiled during the COVID-19 crisis. The results contained in this release reflect some of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 situation. For further information see Information Note - Implications of COVID-19 on Planning Permissions Q3 2021

CSO statistical release, , 11am

Planning Permissions

Quarter 3 2021

Dwelling units granted planning permission in Quarters 1, 2 and 3 of 2020 and 2021
 HousesApartmentsTotal
Quarter 3 20205,7287,87113,599
Quarter 3 20214,4017,02711,428
Annual % change-23.2%-10.7%-16.0%
    
January - September 2020 13,88221,12035,002
January - September 2021 11,37618,16529,541
% change-18.1%-14.0%-15.6%

Number of dwelling units approved down 15.6% in the first three quarters of 2021

Figure 1: Dwelling units approved by type, Q3 2019 - Q3 2021
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When interpreting the data in this release, users are advised to note that Strategic Housing Development (SHD) planning permissions can have a significant impact on the number of dwelling units approved and in turn on the annual and quarterly changes. Due to the volatility in the annual and quarterly series, users are advised to focus on the year to date comparisons.

In the first three quarters of 2021, the number of dwelling units granted planning permission was 29,541, of which 18,165 were apartments and 11,376 were houses. When compared to the same period in 2020, the number of units approved decreased by 14.0% for apartments, 18.1% for houses and a decrease of 15.6% for total dwelling units. See Headline Table.

The third quarter figures also show that:

  • SHD apartment units approved declined by 28.6% in the first nine months of 2021 when compared with the same period in 2020. See Table 7a.
  • Multi-development houses accounted for 20.0% of all new dwelling units granted planning permission in the first nine months of this year. See Table 1b.
  • Total floor area planned was 6,342 thousand square metres in the first three quarters of 2021. Of this, 53.5% was for new dwellings, 35.0% for other new constructions and 11.5% for extensions. The total floor area planned increased by 2.1% in comparison with the first nine months of 2020. See Table 2.
  • Planning permission was granted for 5,352 apartments in Dublin county in the third quarter of 2021. This accounted for 76.2% of total apartment units granted approval in the state. See Table 8 & Figure 4a.
X-axis labelHousesPrivate flats/apartments
nullnull/td>
Q12006164546070
Q22006150144083
Q32006154865397
Q42006130543197
Q12007156544884
Q22007182015787
Q32007158386300
Q42007131354598
Q12008133015281
Q22008125987344
Q32008115323761
Q42008103753392
Q12009102563921
Q2200977395092
Q3200953623222
Q4200934571507
Q1201035851925
Q2201030432335
Q3201028171824
Q420102159790
Q120113075592
Q220112599711
Q320111887625
Q420111537619
Q12012126392
Q220121166240
Q32012154098
Q420121420431
Q120131860448
Q220131496430
Q320131252157
Q420131394162
Q120141446158
Q220141492114
Q320141783361
Q420141905152
Q120152514699
Q220152637473
Q320152345359
Q4201527541263
Q120162534557
Q220162340801
Q3201641991190
Q4201632451084
Q120173754896
Q220173630823
Q320173764975
Q4201742922642
Q1201857581867
Q2201849511826
Q3201848793139
Q4201843762306
Q1201949012592
Q2201949364630
Q3201949345174
Q4201948997195
Q1202050919041
Q2202030634208
Q3202057287871
Q4202044325104
Q1202130893874
Q2202138867264
Q3202144017027

In quarter 3 of 2019, for the first time, more apartments than houses were granted planning permission, a trend which has continued up to the current quarter. In the first three quarters of 2021, apartments granted planning permission accounted for 61.5% of all approvals granted for total dwelling units. See Figure 2 and Table 1a & Table 5.

Table 1a Summary of new dwelling units granted planning permission, Q1 2018 - Q3 2021
Period Multi- Development HousesAnnual % change One-off housesAnnual % changeAll HousesAnnual % change ApartmentsAnnual % change Total Dwellings (All Houses & Apartments)Annual % change
2018Q14,36776.0%1,3919.3%5,75853.4% 1,867108.4% 7,62564.0%
 Q23,63652.6%1,3155.4%4,95136.4% 1,826121.9% 6,77752.2%
 Q33,46345.4%1,4162.5%4,87929.6% 3,139221.9% 8,01869.2%
 Q43,0171.6%1,3592.8%4,3762.0% 2,306-12.7% 6,682-3.6%
 Year14,48341.8%5,4814.9%19,96429.3% 9,13871.3% 29,10240.1%
2019Q13,445-21.1%1,4564.7%4,901-14.9% 2,59238.8% 7,493-1.7%
Q23,549-2.4%1,3875.5%4,936-0.3% 4,630153.6% 9,56641.2%
Q33,401-1.8%1,5146.9%4,9150.7% 5,17464.8% 10,08925.8%
Q43,63420.5%1,265-6.9%4,89912.0% 7,195212.0% 12,09481.0%
Year14,029-3.1%5,6222.6%19,651-1.6% 19,591114.4% 39,24234.8%
2020Q13,7368.4%1,355-6.9%5,0913.9% 9,041248.8% 14,13288.6%
 Q22,394-32.5%669-51.8%3,063-37.9% 4,208-9.1% 7,271-24.0%
 Q33,97416.8%1,75415.9%5,72816.5% 7,87152.1% 13,59934.8%
 Q42,918-19.7%1,51419.7%4,432-9.5% 5,104-29.1% 9,536-21.2%
 Year13,022-7.2%5,292-5.9%18,314-6.8% 26,22433.9% 44,53813.5%
2021Q11,428-61.8%1,66122.6%3,089-39.3% 3,874-57.2% 6,963-50.7%
 Q22,100-12.3%1,786167.0%3,88626.9% 7,26472.6% 11,15053.3%
 Q32,383-40.0%2,01815.1%4,401-23.2% 7,027-10.7% 11,428-16.0%
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 1a (XLS 12KB)
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Table 1b Year to date aggregates of new dwelling units granted planning permission, Q1 2018 - Q3 2021
Period Multi- Development HousesAnnual % change One-off housesAnnual % changeAll HousesAnnual % change ApartmentsAnnual % change Total Dwellings (All Houses & Apartments)Annual % change
2018Jan-Mar4,36776.0%1,3919.3%5,75853.4% 1,867108.4% 7,62564.0%
 Jan-Jun8,00364.6%2,7067.3%10,70945.0% 3,693114.8% 14,40258.2%
 Jan-Sep11,46658.3%4,1225.6%15,58839.8% 6,832153.6% 22,42062.0%
 Jan-Dec14,48341.8%5,4814.9%19,96429.3% 9,13871.3% 29,10240.1%
2019Jan-Mar3,445-21.1%1,4564.7%4,901-14.9% 2,59238.8% 7,493-1.7%
 Jan-Jun6,994-12.6%2,8435.1%9,837-8.1% 7,22295.6% 17,05918.4%
 Jan-Sep10,395-9.3%4,3575.7%14,752-5.4% 12,39681.4% 27,14821.1%
 Jan-Dec14,029-3.1%5,6222.6%19,651-1.6% 19,591114.4% 39,24234.8%
2020Jan-Mar3,7368.4%1,355-6.9%5,0913.9% 9,041248.8% 14,13288.6%
 Jan-Jun6,130-12.4%2,024-28.8%8,154-17.1% 13,24983.5% 21,40325.5%
 Jan-Sep10,104-2.8%3,778-13.3%13,882-5.9% 21,12070.4% 35,00228.9%
 Jan-Dec13,022-7.2%5,292-5.9%18,314-6.8% 26,22433.9% 44,53813.5%
2021Jan-Mar1,428-61.8%1,66122.6%3,089-39.3% 3,874-57.2% 6,963-50.7%
 Jan-Jun3,528-42.4%3,44770.3%6,975-14.5% 11,138-15.9% 18,113-15.4%
 Jan-Sep5,911-41.5%5,46544.7%11,376-18.1% 18,165-14.0% 29,541-15.6%
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 1b (XLS 11KB)
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A total of 9,237 planning permissions were granted for all developments in the current quarter. Of these permissions, 52.2% were for new constructions, 30.2% for extensions and 17.5% for alterations and conversions. See Table 2 and Figure 3a.

For long labels below use
to display on multiple lines		Type
New constructions52.2464003464328
Extensions30.2046118869763
Alterations and
conversions		17.5489877665909
X-axis labelNew constructionsExtensionsAlterations and conversions
2019 Q3430321251293
2019 Q4352616111049
2020 Q1379017361123
2020 Q21961874554
2020 Q3475323701419
2020 Q4401018601147
2021 Q1399521911325
2021Q2453224771520
2021Q3482627901621

There were 25,277 planning permissions granted for all developments in the first three quarters of 2021. This compares with 18,580 permissions in the same period of 2020, an increase of 36.0%. There was an increase of 49.8% in planning permissions granted for extensions, 44.3% for alterations and conversions and 27.1% for new constructions when compared to the first nine months of 2020. See Table 2 and Figure 3b.

Table 2 Summary of planning permissions granted, Q1 2013 - Q3 2021
Number of Permissions Total Floor Area (000 square metres)1
Period New Construction DwellingsNew Construction OtherExtensionsAlterations and ConversionsTotal  New Construction DwellingsNew Construction OtherExtensionsTotal2
2013Q18627851,2963323,275 394366169930
 Q27727541,4893533,368 333331170834
 Q39319041,6653753,875 282312229823
 Q47519881,2453993,383 295297159751
 Year3,3163,4315,6951,45913,901 1,3051,3067273,338
2014Q18911,0061,3965403,833 336229180744
 Q28751,0911,5905934,149 296242174712
 Q39621,1831,7054784,328 366379228974
 Q48781,0191,2613463,504 368214172754
 Year3,6064,2995,9521,95715,814 1,3661,0647543,184
2015Q11,0661,0461,4543353,901 525243206973
 Q29911,0211,6633724,047 5273212161,065
 Q31,1281,4921,9424475,009 4945682931,354
 Q41,0841,5651,4134084,470 6016871801,468
 Year4,2695,1246,4721,56217,427 2,1471,8198954,861
2016Q11,1691,6951,6803704,914 5025222561,280
 Q21,2031,7581,8494265,236 5544602311,245
 Q31,4011,9732,1985516,123 8026292621,693
 Q41,3411,5171,5104554,823 6844501911,325
 Year5,1146,9437,2371,80221,096 2,5422,0619405,543
2017Q11,5231,9061,7677635,959 7604212791,461
 Q21,4842,0901,9048016,279 6985312271,455
 Q31,6702,0462,1661,0026,884 7614473021,510
 Q41,5911,8991,6008715,961 9624182131,593
 Year6,2687,9417,4373,43725,083 3,1811,8171,0216,019
2018Q11,7111,7691,6588726,010 1,1465712201,938
 Q21,6392,0852,0591,0406,823 9966062551,857
 Q31,8132,2572,2231,1477,440 1,0976532602,010
 Q41,6781,8831,7509896,300 9084942701,672
 Year6,8417,9947,6904,04826,573 4,1472,3241,0067,477
2019Q11,8232,0431,9241,1536,943 1,0366072041,847
 Q21,7722,0761,9691,2247,041 1,2196522322,103
 Q31,9182,3852,1251,2937,721 1,1988082662,272
 Q41,5961,9301,6111,0496,186 1,3625112222,095
 Year7,1098,4347,6294,71927,891 4,8152,5779258,317
2020Q11,7352,0551,7361,1236,649 1,4768082192,503
 Q28691,0928745543,389 751323991,173
 Q32,1972,5562,3701,4198,542 1,5117183082,537
 Q41,8422,1681,8601,1477,017 1,1447211932,058
 Year6,6437,8716,8404,24325,597 4,8822,5708198,271
2021Q11,9632,0322,1911,3257,511 8646262201,711
 Q22,1422,3902,4771,5208,529 1,2247462452,215
 Q32,3552,4712,7901,6219,237 1,3068462642,416
1 Rounding issues may occur.
2 For categories where floor area is a relevant measure.
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 2 (XLS 37KB)
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Planning permission was granted for 7,027 new apartments in the third quarter of 2021.

The region with the highest proportion of apartment units granted approval at 76.2% was Dublin with 5,352 apartments, followed by the West (5.1%) with 360 approvals. The Eastern and Midland Region (made up of Dublin, the Mid-East and the Midland regions) accounted for 5,806 apartment units, 82.6% of all new apartment units granted planning. The Southern Region (made up of the Mid-West, South East and South West regions) accounted for 12.0% of apartments granted planning compared to 5.4% for the Northern and Western Region (Border and West). See Table 6 and Figure 4a.

There were 4,401 housing units granted planning permission in the current quarter. The county with highest proportion of houses granted planning was Dublin at 11.8% with 518 houses, followed by Cork (11.7%) with 513 houses and Tipperary at 8.4%, with 368 houses. Leitrim with 16 houses granted planning accounted for the lowest proportion. See Table 8 and Figure 4b.

X-axis labelNon-Strategic Housing Development unitsStrategic Housing Development units
2020 Q1 - Apartment units17507291
2020 Q1 - Multi-development house units17991937
2020 Q2 - Apartment units6623546
2020 Q2 - Multi-development house units13771017
2020 Q3 - Apartment units14946377
2020 Q3 - Multi-development house units21251849
2020 Q4 - Apartment units23292775
2020 Q4 - Multi-development house units18121106
2021 Q1 - Apartment units11002774
2021 Q1 - Multi-development house units1282146
2021 Q2 - Apartment units28744390
2021 Q2 - Multi-development house units1565535
2021 Q3 - Apartment units19055122
2021 Q3 - Multi-development house units1785598

Dwelling units granted by type of application - SHD and non-SHD applications

The Strategic Housing Development (SHD) process is where applications for developments of at least 100 residential units or 200 plus student bed spaces can be made directly to An Bord Pleanála.

In the first three quarters of 2021, the number of SHD apartment units approved fell by 28.6% when compared with the first three quarters of 2020, while the number of SHD housing units approved declined by 73.4%. SHD apartment units accounted for 67.6% of all apartment units granted planning permission, with standard applications accounting for the remaining 32.4%. In the same period, 5,911 multi-development housing units were granted planning permission, 1,279 or 21.6% were Strategic Housing Development applications compared to 4,632 or 78.4% standard applications. See Table 7a and Figure 5.

Table 3 Summary of planning permissions granted, Q3 2021, classified by region, county and type of development
 Number of Permissions Total Floor Area (000 square metres)1
Planning Region and CountyNew Construction Dwellings New Construction Other  ExtensionsAlterations and ConversionsTotal New Construction Dwellings New Construction Other  ExtensionsTotal2
Northern and Western6714534631921,779 20911157376
Border355248264104971 1006627192
Cavan49746018201 1834760
Donegal1949012344451 50101071
Leitrim1521161163 4328
Monaghan68413523167 1918441
Sligo292230889 90413
West31620519988808 1094530184
Galway City13194031103 303437
Galway31831279940449 45321391
Mayo7920339141 233834
Roscommon4139278115 126423
           
Southern9671,0058894533,314 42025096766
Mid-West293314262117986 1426924235
Clare97768533291 3814760
Limerick11712410644391 51281089
Tipperary791147140304 5227786
South-East33923422793893 1416627233
Carlow4628329115 104418
Kilkenny88696121239 3517760
Waterford49465519169 378449
Wexford156917944370 583811107
South-West3354574002431,435 13811545298
Cork City37569852243 4691165
Cork3225333232159949 569829183
Kerry73687032243 358649
           
Eastern and Midland7171,0131,4389764,144 6774851121,274
Dublin1594748996882,220 45232147819
Dublin City65196328294883 17512214311
Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown30122214170536 942313130
Fingal48102205153508 14513211288
South Dublin165415271293 3844890
Mid-East3703484002241,342 1667646287
Louth85536342243 355646
Kildare6111915884422 22112357
Meath1611039345402 525111114
Wicklow63738653275 578671
Midland18819113964582 598919167
Laois53724517187 1634453
Longford222527882 611521
Offaly66523010158 1843767
Westmeath47423729155 202426
           
State2,3552,4712,7901,6219,237 1,3068462642,416
1 Rounding issues may occur.
2 For categories where floor area is a relevant measure.
3 Excluding cities.
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 3 (XLS 727KB)
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Table 4(a) Planning permissions granted, Q3 2021, classified by region, type of development and functional category
 Functional Category 
Type of Development and Planning RegionDwellingsCommercial BuildingsBuildings for AgricultureIndustrial BuildingsGovt-, Health and EducationOther Buildings for Social UseCivil Eng.OtherTotal
NEW CONSTRUCTIONS         
Northern and Western671169812751561591,124
Border3558516329286603
West3168476436473521
Southern967391874313122934181,972
Mid-West293763133698124607
South-East33915508535796573
South West33517742253138198792
Eastern and Midland71759803226202125841,730
Dublin15936-17161563327633
Mid-East370172979491191718
Midland1886518115866379
State2,3551143658746376611,1614,826
          
EXTENSIONS         
Northern and Western37231129318--463
Border2171532225--264
West155169793--199
Southern776263017328--889
Mid-West2218114144--262
South-East20165672--227
South West35412147112--400
Eastern and Midland1,340309143213--1,438
Dublin8532014129--899
Mid-East368746132--400
Midland11934472--139
State2,4888751409529--2,790
          
ALTERATIONS and CONVERSIONS         
Northern and Western1234327116--192
Border66232274--104
West5720-542--88
Southern346611010215--453
Mid-West742822101--117
South-East71123151--93
South West201215763--243
Eastern and Midland7931194103713--976
Dublin59265-41710--688
Mid-East1633735151--224
Midland38171152--64
State1,26222316276924--1,621
          
ALL DEVELOPMENTS         
Northern and Western1,166901122849191561591,779
Border63846561032119286971
West5284456181786473808
Southern2,0891262277066252934183,314
Mid-West588437619271198124986
South-East6113358151765796893
South-West8905093362281381981,435
Eastern and Midland2,850208935695462125844,144
Dublin1,6041211254534633272,220
Mid-East901613618377911911,342
Midland3452656131355866582
State6,105424432154210906611,1619,237
- No permissions
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 4a (XLS 91KB)
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Table 4(b) Total Floor Area Planned (000 square metres)1 in new construction and extensions, Q3 2021, classified by region and functional category
Functional Category 
Type of Development and Planning RegionDwellingsCommercial BuildingsBuildings for AgricultureIndustrial BuildingsGovt., Health and EducationOther Buildings for Social UseTotal2
NEW CONSTRUCTIONS       
Northern and Western20912672742320
Border1005461321165
West1097211421154
Southern4205512153147670
Mid-West14210342005211
South-East1411234892207
South West13833532540252
Eastern and Midland677272957138101,162
Dublin452257-43138773
Mid-East16610421212241
Midland595532730148
State1,30633928215056192,152
        
EXTENSIONS       
Northern and Western278397257
Border162006227
West116381030
Southern521013713196
Mid-West142512124
South-East122246027
South West256635045
Eastern and Midland691858112112
Dublin353024147
Mid-East2414134046
Midland100333019
State148362124305264
        
TOTAL NEW CONSTRUCTIONS and EXTENSIONS       
Northern and Western236207035114376
Border1167461382192
West12014242232184
Southern4726513460268766
Mid-West15612392026235
South-East153143712162233
South West16339592891298
Eastern and Midland746290997949121,274
Dublin487260044189819
Mid-East18924434252287
Midland696563160167
State1,45437530317486242,416
1 0 implies less than 500 sq.m. Rounding issues may occur.
2 For categories where floor area is a relevant measure.
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 4b (XLS 95KB)
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Table 5 Summary of planning permissions granted for new houses and apartments, Q1 2013 - Q3 2021
Multi-Development Houses One-Off Houses All Houses Apartments
Period Number of PermissionsNumber of UnitsFloor Area (000 m2)Average Floor Area per Unit (m2) Number of PermissionsNumber of UnitsFloor Area (000 m2)Average Floor Area per Unit (m2) Number of PermissionsNumber of UnitsFloor Area (000 m2)Average Floor Area per Unit (m2) Number of PermissionsNumber of UnitsFloor Area (000 m2)Average Floor Area per Unit (m2)
2013Q1451,087155142.6 773773190246.2 8181,860345185.7 4044846102.1
 Q243812109134.5 684684171249.6 7271,496280187.1 4043050116.9
 Q34543363146.6 819819203247.5 8641,252266212.6 641571276.6
 Q454754109144.1 640640161252.0 6941,394270193.6 531621593.6
 Year1873,086436141.4 2,9162,916725248.6 3,1036,0021,161193.5 1971,197123103.0
                     
2014Q161672106157.3 774774190245.7 8351,446296204.6 491581596.9
 Q25774099133.2 752752185245.9 8091,492283190.0 631141084.9
 Q366962134138.9 821821197239.6 8871,783330185.2 653613186.9
 Q4551,156166143.2 749749186248.3 8041,905352184.5 691521385.3
 Year2393,530503142.6 3,0963,096758244.8 3,3356,6261,261190.3 2467856988.3
                     
2015Q1691,606232144.3 908908222244.8 9772,514454180.6 826996897.2
 Q2921,816277152.5 821821198241.0 9132,637475180.0 734734799.7
 Q3861,395189135.2 950950230242.4 1,0362,345419178.6 853593289.2
 Q4821,841259140.5 913913222243.5 9952,754481174.7 861,26311994.2
 Year3296,658956143.6 3,5923,592873243.0 3,92110,2501,829178.4 3262,79426695.2
                     
2016Q1941,556209134.2 978978236241.8 1,0722,534445175.7 905575090.1
 Q21001,350188139.0 990990234236.6 1,0902,340422180.3 1078017188.0
 Q31433,070411133.9 1,1291,129269238.3 1,2724,199680161.9 1251,19010689.1
 Q41012,112281133.3 1,1331,133278245.4 1,2343,245559172.4 1021,08410496.4
 Year 4388,0881,089134.6 4,2304,2301,018240.6 4,66812,3182,106171.0 4243,63233191.1
                     
2017Q11142,481341137.6 1,2731,273308242.1 1,3873,754650173.1 1268968393.1
 Q21212,382310130.0 1,2481,248302241.8 1,3693,630611168.4 1078237084.8
 Q31342,382302126.8 1,3821,382329237.8 1,5163,764631167.6 1469759091.9
 Q41322,970404135.9 1,3221,322315238.3 1,4544,292719167.4 1312,64221581.5
 Year50110,2151,357132.8 5,2255,2251,254239.9 5,72615,4402,610169.1 5105,33645885.9
                     
2018Q11464,367555127.1 1,3911,391331238.0 1,5375,758886153.9 1611,86715985.2
 Q21493,636482132.6 1,3151,315312237.1 1,4644,951794160.4 1611,82616691.0
 Q31773,463442127.6 1,4161,416335236.9 1,5934,879777159.3 2113,13927888.7
 Q41503,017385127.7 1,3591,359323237.4 1,5094,376708161.8 1602,30619082.2
 Year62214,4831,864128.7 5,4815,4811,301237.3 6,10319,9643,165158.5 6939,13879386.8
                     
2019Q11583,445446129.5 1,4561,456340233.7 1,6144,901786160.4 1962,59222687.1
 Q21693,549461129.8 1,3871,387320230.7 1,5564,936781158.2 2024,63038683.5
 Q31683,401434127.8 1,5141,514355234.5 1,6824,915790160.6 2265,17439876.9
 Q41503,634450123.7 1,2651,265296234.2 1,4154,899746152.2 1707,19556578.5
 Year64514,0291,791127.7 5,6225,6221,312233.3 6,26719,6513,102157.9 79419,5911,57580.4
                     
2020Q11723,736465124.4 1,3551,355311229.6 1,5275,091776152.4 1919,04168075.2
 Q2922,394284118.5 669669157234.3 7613,063440143.8 1024,20830071.2
 Q31623,974475119.5 1,7541,754414235.8 1,9165,728889155.1 2687,87158474.2
 Q41292,918333114.0 1,5141,514363239.5 1,6434,432695156.9 1875,10440378.9
 Year55513,0221,556119.5 5,2925,2921,244235.1 5,84718,3142,800152.9 74826,2241,96675.0
                     
2021Q11041,428175122.8 1,6611,661400240.7 1,7653,089575186.2 1933,87427470.8
Q21202,100249118.7 1,7861,786431241.1 1,9063,886680175.0 2227,26449768.5
 Q31202,383287120.4 2,0182,018482238.9 2,1384,401769174.7 2077,02751973.8
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 5 (XLS 42KB)
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Table 6 Apartment units granted planning permission by region, Q1 2020 - Q3 2021
 Q1 2020Q2 2020Q3 2020Q4 20202020Q1 2021Q2 2021Q3 2021
Regionunitsunitsunitsunitsunitsunitsunitsunits
Dublin7,3673,3775,1023,51619,3623,0734,1265,352
Mid-East1,0312311,8124423,516327733352
Midlands59999626752151346102
Mid-West88383830446849214283
South-East823321527960961271254
South-West2833264142231,2461741,467304
Border2023793916155620
West111811153434113451360
Total9,0414,2087,8715,10426,2243,8747,2647,027
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 6 (XLS 388KB)
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Table 7a Apartment, multi-development and total house units granted planning permission by type of application, Q1 2018 - Q3 20211
Apartment unitsMulti-development house unitsTotal house units2
Period SHDNon-SHDTotalSHDNon-SHDTotalSHDNon-SHDTotal
2018Q101,8671,86704,3674,36705,7585,758
 Q21991,6271,8266682,9683,6366684,2834,951
 Q31,7261,4133,1399502,5133,4639503,9294,879
 Q41,1421,1642,3066112,4063,0176113,7654,376
 Year3,0676,0719,1382,22912,25414,4832,22917,73519,964
2019Q18011,7912,5922883,1573,4452884,6134,901
 Q22,3762,2544,6301,1602,3893,5491,1603,7764,936
 Q33,2121,9625,1746592,7423,4016594,2564,915
 Q45,8831,3127,1951,8391,7953,6341,8393,0604,899
 Year12,2727,31919,5913,94610,08314,0293,94615,70519,651
2020Q17,2911,7509,0411,9371,7993,7361,9383,1535,091
 Q23,5466624,2081,0171,3772,3941,0172,0463,063
 Q36,3771,4947,8711,8492,1253,9741,8493,8795,728
 Q42,7752,3295,1041,1061,8122,9181,1063,3264,432
 Year19,9896,23526,2245,9097,11313,0225,91012,40418,314
2021Q12,7741,1003,8741461,2821,4281462,9433,089
 Q24,3902,8747,2645351,5652,1005353,3513,886
 Q35,1221,9057,0275981,7852,3835983,8034,401
1 Quarter 2 of 2018 was the first quarter SHD planning permissions were granted.
2 Total house units is a combination of multi-development and one off houses.
Planning permissions granted for Strategic Housing Development (SHD) applications may be annulled by the high court. The CSO will revise figures in the fourth quarter publication of the relevant year, if this occurs.
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 7a (XLS 38KB)
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Table 7b Percentage breakdown of apartment, multi-development and total house units granted planning permission by type of application, Q1 2018 - Q3 20211
Apartment unitsMulti-development house unitsTotal house units2
Period SHDNon-SHDTotalSHDNon-SHDTotalSHDNon-SHDTotal
2018Q10.0%100.0%100.0%0.0%100.0%100.0%0.0%100.0%100.0%
 Q210.9%89.1%100.0%18.4%81.6%100.0%13.5%86.5%100.0%
 Q355.0%45.0%100.0%27.4%72.6%100.0%19.5%80.5%100.0%
 Q449.5%50.5%100.0%20.3%79.7%100.0%14.0%86.0%100.0%
 Year33.6%66.4%100.0%15.4%84.6%100.0%11.2%88.8%100.0%
2019Q130.9%69.1%100.0%8.4%91.6%100.0%5.9%94.1%100.0%
 Q251.3%48.7%100.0%32.7%67.3%100.0%23.5%76.5%100.0%
 Q362.1%37.9%100.0%19.4%80.6%100.0%13.4%86.6%100.0%
 Q481.8%18.2%100.0%50.6%49.4%100.0%37.5%62.5%100.0%
 Year62.6%37.4%100.0%28.1%71.9%100.0%20.1%79.9%100.0%
2020Q180.6%19.4%100.0%51.8%48.2%100.0%38.1%61.9%100.0%
 Q284.3%15.7%100.0%42.5%57.5%100.0%33.2%66.8%100.0%
 Q381.0%19.0%100.0%46.5%53.5%100.0%32.3%67.7%100.0%
 Q454.4%45.6%100.0%37.9%62.1%100.0%25.0%75.0%100.0%
 Year76.2%23.8%100.0%45.4%54.6%100.0%32.3%67.7%100.0%
2021Q171.6%28.4%100.0%10.2%89.8%100.0%4.7%95.3%100.0%
 Q260.4%39.6%100.0%25.5%74.5%100.0%13.8%86.2%100.0%
 Q372.9%27.1%100.0%25.1%74.9%100.0%13.6%86.4%100.0%
1 Quarter 2 of 2018 was the first quarter SHD planning permissions were granted.
2 Total house units is a combination of multi-development and one off houses.
Planning permissions granted for Strategic Housing Development (SHD) applications may be annulled by the high court. The CSO will revise figures in the fourth quarter publication of the relevant year, if this occurs.
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 7b (XLS 39KB)
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Table 8 Dwelling units granted planning permission by county, Q3 2021
CountyAll Houses Apartments Total Dwellings
Carlow42 9 51
Cavan109 2 111
Clare207 5 212
Cork513 180 693
Donegal198 7 205
Dublin518 5,352 5,870
Galway195 351 546
Kerry176 124 300
Kildare101 40 141
Kilkenny158 75 233
Laois75 2 77
Leitrim16 - 16
Limerick132 184 316
Longford22 - 22
Louth143 117 260
Mayo102 4 106
Meath215 64 279
Monaghan80 2 82
Offaly82 - 82
Roscommon43 5 48
Sligo33 9 42
Tipperary368 94 462
Waterford202 118 320
Westmeath49 100 149
Wexford294 52 346
Wicklow328 131 459
Total4,401 7,027 11,428
- No permissions
Open in Excel: Planning Permissions Q3 2021 Table 8 (XLS 10KB)
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Background Notes

Scope and Background

Details of the scope and background of this series were given in the March 1973 Statistical Bulletin. The Planning and Development Acts 1963 - 2000, imposes certain requirements on builders, developers and all other persons who propose to build or develop and specifies that a planning permission must be obtained from the relevant Planning Authority.

Local authority building (including housing) is exempt in the case where construction takes place in the Authorities’ own area. Therefore, works undertaken by a local authority outside its functional area come within the scope of the Acts, and need planning permission. Planning permission is also needed for development by the State, except where the consultation procedures provided for in the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1993 obtain (e.g. national security, public safety or order, the administration of justice etc). This series only provides coverage where development is subject to the requirement to obtain planning permission.

This series is also available using the interactive tables in PxStat on the CSO website. 

Classification

Planning permissions are classified by type of development, local authority district and by regional authority.  A distinction is made between residential and non-residential building and civil engineering. 

Type (TY):

1       New Development.

2       Extension.

3       Alteration & Renovation - No floor areas required (FA = 0).

4       Conversion / Change of Use - No floor areas required (FA = 0). 


 
 		 Floor Area Edit Limits
Category (CAT)
 		 New Development Extensions
Range
Floor Area (m2)		 Range
Floor Area (m2)
101

One-Off Houses
Dormer/Porch/Presbytery/Raising Roof

 65 - 372 1 - 150
102

Apartments & Granny Flat
Maisonettes

 19 - 100
1 - 100
104

Communal Dwellings
Old Peoples Homes/Retirement Homes/Student Accommodation

 1 - 2,500 1 - 2,500
105

Multi Development Houses
2 or more houses/Housing Estate

  65 - 372  1 - 150
201

Agricultural & Fisheries
Forestry /Horticulture/Milking Parlour/Stables

 1 - 2,000 1 - 1,000
202

Mining & Energy
Extraction & Water/Power Supply Sub-Station/Oil Depots

 1 - 300 1 - 300
203

Industry & Manufacturing
Handicrafts/Enterprise Centre/Storage/Workshops

 1 - 5,000 1 - 2,000
204

Hotels & Restaurants
Guest Houses/B & Bs/Hostels/Tea Room/Coffee House 

 1 - 4,000  1 - 1,500 
205

Transport Infrastructure
Air/Rail/Bus/Petrol Stations/Bicycle Sheds/Car Showrooms 

 1 - 2,000 1 - 750
206

Trade & Economic
Department Stores/Shops/Hair Dressers/Take Aways/Warehouses 

 1 - 5,000  1 - 1,500
207

Public Administration
Police/Fire Station/Prisons/Court Houses/Barracks/TV Studio

 1 - 4,000 1 - 1,000
208

Health & Welfare
Hospitals/Nursing Homes/Vet Clinics/Community Services

 1 - 4,000 1 - 1,000
209

Entertainment & Recreation
Amusement Arcade/Club Pavilion/Internet Cafe/Swimming Pools

 1 - 4,000 1 - 1,000
210

Education & Science
Art Galleries/Schools/Museums/Universities

 1 - 4,000  1 - 1,000 
211

Religious & Funerary
Churches/Crematoria/Funeral Home/Mortuaries

 1 - 2,000 1 - 500
212

Other Non-Residential
Dog Kennels/Public Toilets/Trade Union Offices

 1 - 250 1 - 250
213

Offices & Administration
Banks/Credit Unions/Insurance

 1 - 4,000 1 - 1,000
214

Crèches
Childcare/Montessori

 1 - 2,000 0 - 750


 

Category (CAT)
301 - 401
 
New Development (only)
Floor Area (m2)  Always 0 
301

Construction of Roads
Runways/Motorways/Level Crossing

 0
302

Constuction of Railways
Metro Lines

 0
303

Civil Engineering Works – Specialised
Boat Slips/Cable Cars/Bridges/Tunnels

 0
304

Hydraulic Engineering
Canals/Harbours/Rivers

 0
305

Water & Sewerage
Reservoirs/WWTPs/Sewer Systems

 0
306

Land Reclamation & Drainage
Cemetery/Demolition/Dump/Garden Centre/Quarries

 0
307

Electrical & Telecommunication Infrastructure
Cables/Overhead Lines/Satellite Dish

 0
308

Pipelines
Fuel/Gas/Other

 0
309

Civil Engineering Works – General
Car Parks (not in buildings)/Incinerator/Ready Mix Plant/Wind Farm

 0
401 

General & Miscellaneous
Access Ramps/Driveway/Entrances/Bored Well/Fencing/Gates/Signs

 0


Coverage

Only final grants of permission or approvals are covered, i.e. only works which involve construction.  The following permissions are excluded since they do not entail construction per se:

  • Changes of a technical and business nature as distinct from a building or structural nature;
  • Outline permission;
  • Retention of an existing building;
  • Changes to existing plan;
  • Bye-law permission;
  • Refusals - permissions subsequently granted on appeal by An Bord Pleanála are included.  

Rounding

As the figures for floor area have been rounded there may be slight discrepancies between the sum of the constituent items and the totals shown.

Estimates are included where complete details of floor area size are not available.  

NUTS2 and NUTS3 Regions

The regional classifications in this release are based on the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) classification used by Eurostat. The classification was drawn up by Eurostat in order to define territorial units for the production of regional statistics across the European Union. In 2003, the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission established the NUTS regions within a legal framework (Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003).
Revisions were made to the NUTS boundaries in 2016 and were given legal status under Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/2066 amending annexes to NUTS Regulation 1059/2003. Under this revision the NUTS 2 Regions comprise the Regional Assemblies established under the Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014 (SI No. 573 of 2014). The NUTS 3 Regions are groupings of 31 administrative counties, and nest into the NUTS 2 Regions.

Nuts 2 Region   Nuts 2 Region   Nuts 2 Region  
           
Northern and Western   Southern   Eastern and Midland  
           
Nuts 3 Region   Nuts 3 Region   Nuts 3 Region  
Border Cavan Mid-West Clare Dublin Dublin
  Donegal   Limerick   Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
  Leitrim   Tipperary   Fingal
  Monaghan       South Dublin
  Sligo        
           
West Galway City South-East Carlow Mid-East Louth
  Galway County   Kilkenny   Kildare
  Mayo   Waterford   Meath
  Roscommon   Wexford   Wicklow
           
    South-West Cork City Midland Laois
      Cork County   Longford
      Kerry   Offaly
          Westmeath

 

Strategic Housing Development Planning Applications 

Planning applications for housing developments of more than 100 residential units and 200 plus student bed spaces can now be made directly to An Bord Pleanála. New legislation which allows for this type of application was enacted on 19th December 2016 and the associated regulations come in to effect on 3rd July 2017. This new type of application has been introduced as part of Rebuilding Ireland to speed up the planning application process and accelerate delivery of larger housing and student accommodation proposals. For more information see An Bord Pleanala website

Comparison with other national series

There are differences (due to coverage, timing, definitions and other factors) between the planning permissions statistics produced by the CSO and those of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (DHPCLG), resulting in different but complementary sets of data aimed at meeting the needs of different users.

The planning permissions statistics produced by the DHPCLG focus on the overall process of the planning permissions system.  For example, it provides data for each planning authority on invalid applications received, applications for outline and full permission, decisions to grant /refuse permission, decisions issued within the statutory eight week period, decisions deferred. Percentages for decisions are provided.

By contrast, the planning permissions statistics published by the CSO provide a detailed breakdown of certain outputs of the planning process (number of planning permissions granted with the number of units, functional description, and their floor areas).  Only final grants of permission for works which involve construction are covered. Refusals, retentions and outline permissions, for example, are excluded.  See under the heading Coverage above for a full list of exclusions.

The example of an application for a shopping centre with a car park illustrates how different approaches can result in a different total for the number of planning permissions granted. The CSO statistics include a breakdown into types of planning permission received and would therefore treat the case as an application for two permissions, one for a shopping centre and one for a car park. Where the statistics compiled do not involve such a breakdown, as is the case with the DHPCLG, the application would be treated as one for a single permission.

The purpose of the CSO Planning Permissions Statistics is to provide a short-term indicator on construction.  It aims to provide data enabling some prediction of or insight into the amount of building activity about to take place in the State. 

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Scan the QR code below to view this release online or go to
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/pp/planningpermissionsquarter32021/

Contact:

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Skehard Road, Cork T12 X00E, Ireland

Tel:
(+353) 21 453 5000
E-Mail:
information@cso.ie

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