Latest housing data for Cork city ‘spells disaster’ says TD

A Cork TD has raised concerns over data on commencement notices for houses in Cork city showing there were just seven filed during November.

The total was the second lowest monthly total since September 2018 and the lowest figures since September 2022.

There were 304 commencement notices in January; 139 in February; 534 in March; 2,394 in April; nine in May; 50 in June; 17 in July; 151 in August; 608 in September and 135 in October, a total of 4,348 this year in Cork city.

In Cork county, there were 253 commencement notices issued in January; 316 in February; 450 in March; 806 in April; 41 in May; 224 in June; 145 in July; 37 in August; 538 in September; 440 in October, and 118 in November, meaning there has been a total of 7,716 in Cork during 2024.

Commenting on the November figure, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, said the latest figure “spells disaster” for Cork city’s housing pipeline.

“Only seven commencement notices were issued for the entire month of November in Cork city. That means that only seven developments are expected to begin on site early in 2025.

"This spells disaster for Cork city’s housing pipeline.

“The fact that commencements are now slowing down is no surprise – the last government’s housing plan has failed by every single metric. House prices are higher, rents are higher, homelessness is higher and now it looks like supply will reduce,” said Mr Gould.

“The next government must recognise this failure and move to bring about real change in housing.

“A new direction on housing is the only hope for couples who spent Christmas in box rooms, for parents worried that an eviction notice might come this Christmas, and for the children Santa visited in hotels.”