Housing completions on Cork city's northside drops

A Cork TD has raised concern as new data shows that the two wards in the northside of the city have seen significant drops in dwelling completions compared to last year, with a reduction of 23% on the Northside of Cork city, far above the national average.

CSO figures show that nationally, there were 30,330 new dwelling completions in the whole of 2024, a decrease of 6.7% from 2023.

A breakdown by local authority area shows there were 118 completions in Bantry, 162 in Skibbereen, 286 in Bandon-Kinsale, 311 in Carrigaline, 263 in Macroom, 134 in Mallow, 203 in Fermoy, 305 in Cobh, 362 in Midleton and 184 in Kanturk in 2024.

In the city wards, there were 133 completions in Cork City North West, 316 in North East, 382 in South West, 144 in South Central and 249 in South East.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould said: “These figures are proof that the government’s housing policy has failed completely. Where are the 40,000 homes we were promised would be delivered last year?

“I am particularly concerned at the decline in housebuilding on the Northside of Cork city. This figure includes social, affordable and private purchase homes. The housing crisis is extremely acute on the Northside.

“We know that the solution is an increase in supply. The Programme for Government does not propose the step change that is needed to resolve housing and to finally give people in Cork North Central a chance at a home of their own.

“Another five years of record rents, record house prices and missed targets is not what ordinary people in Cork need. We need ambitious delivery and real increases in supply.”