The number of new houses and apartments built in Ireland last year reached a record 57,695, up 9.7 per cent, according to the Government's Annual Housing Statistics for 2002.
House completions in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA - Dublin city and county, counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow) reached a record 20,675 units built, up 25.3 per cent on 2001. This is the highest level of completions ever achieved in the GDA.Completions in Dublin also reached a record level with 12,623 units built, an increase of 31.4 per cent on last year.
Speaking at the launch of the figures this morning Mr Noel Ahern, Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, said the sector had performed well largely as a result of Government support and particularly high levels of output under the local authority and voluntary housing programmes.
The figures show an increase in the level of local authority housing output, which at 5,074 units is the highest level in 16 years. This included some 670 second hand acquisitions and 126 new units constructed in Ballymun. There was also work in progress on a further 6,768 units.Completions by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector output also rose, with 1,360 units of accommodation provided in 2002, an increase of 8.5 per cent on 2001, and the number of units in progress at 2,541 was up 34.9 per cent on 2001.
The bulletin also shows that house prices continue to moderate since the peak in 1998, particularly in Dublin. Nationally, average annual house price increases in 2002 compared to 2003, were 8.3 per cent and 10.5 per cent for new and second-hand houses, respectively.
Increases in Dublin for new and second-hand house prices were 5.4 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.