117 new homes commenced in Longford during 2023

Fianna Fáil TD for Longford / Westmeath, Joe Flaherty, has welcomed the publication by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of its monthly data on the number of Commencements Notices (residential construction starts) for December 2023 which shows the total number of all new homes commenced in 2023.

The data shows that between January and December, 32,801 Commencement Notices for new homes were received by the Building Control Authorities.

This is the highest number of annual commencements on record, an increase of 21.7% compared to 2022 (26,957) and is the highest number of annual residential commencements since records began in 2014.

In County Longford, a total of 117 new homes commenced in 2023, up from 47 in 2022.

Deputy Flaherty said, "Supply is key to addressing the housing challenges we face. The latest monthly data on commencement notices, showing that a record number of new homes were commenced in 2023, outlines the real progress Fianna Fáil in Government is making in tackling what is the defining issue of this generation.

"The facts show that in 2023, 32,801 Commencement Notices for new homes were received, the highest number of annual commencements on record. In December alone, 3,167 Commencement Notices were received, which is an increase of 76% on December 2022.

"I'm delighted the figures show the number of new homes commenced in County Longford last year was more than double the previous year. A total of 117 new homes commenced in the county last year, up from 47 in 2022.

"All the key housing indicators-commencements, completions and planning permissions are trending upwards which bodes well for future supply. Fianna Fáil’s top priority remains doing everything we can to help people to afford to buy or rent a home. The figures  show that our plan is working and my focus is on doing whatever I can to keep this positive momentum going.”

Meanwhile, according to the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, published on Tuesday, January 23, 111 residential buildings were under construction in Longford in December 2023, while 116 new address points were recorded.

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Vacant and Derelict Properties
The residential vacancy rate in Longford was 7.7% in December 2023, higher than the national average of 3.9%.

The national average vacancy rate dropped 0.1 percentage point to 3.9% in the twelve months to December 2023.

After Q2 2023, this is the second consecutive report in which the residential vacancy rate has dipped below 4.0% and remains the lowest recorded by GeoDirectory since reporting started in 2013.

In total, there were 81,449 vacant units identified nationwide.

The highest residential vacancy rates continue to be found in the west of the country, with Leitrim (12%), Mayo (10.7%) and Roscommon (10.4%) recording the highest levels of vacancies.

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Average Property Prices
There were 384 residential property transactions in Longford in the twelve months to October 2023, with an average property price of €176,823.

The average residential property price increased by 4.7% to €370,709 in the twelve months to October 2023, with the average price rising in every county.

The average cost of a residential property in Dublin was €536,472, while Longford was the county with the lowest average price at €176,823.When Dublin is excluded from the study, the national average house price falls to €300,319.

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