There has been a striking drop in the number of Galway houses and apartments on which construction began in the first two months of this year.

Only 52 housing units were started in January and February – just one of them in the city – which is the lowest number of commencements for these months in a decade

In the same period last year, construction had begun on almost six times as many homes in the city and county, a total of 302.

The sluggish start to the year in Galway housing provision – also reflected in national figures – comes after a surge in activity throughout 2024 that saw the number of commencements more than double the previous year’s total, with a 300% increase in the city pushing the total to 2,672.

However, both government and industry commentators suggested that the high number of commencements nationally last year was in part at least due to the pending expiry of some incentives introduced to boost the provision of housing.

In the rolling twelve-month period up to the start of this month, there was a total of 2,422 housing unit commencements in Galway city and county – 1,389 in the county and 1,033 in the city, an increase of 89% on the previous twelve months.

But in both cases the growth was in the months of 2024, figures released by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show.

Of the total commencements between March last year and February this year, 587 were one-off units, most of them (553) in the county; 793 were units in housing estates (589 in the county and 204 in the city); and 1,042 were apartments (247 in the county and 795 in the city).

The single house commencement this year in Galway City, in January, represents the lowest number of homes started in any local authority area in the country, and it was the only one not have recorded any commencements in February.

Galway West Sinn Féin TD Mairéad Farrell said that the fact that just one housing commencement notice had also been issued in the first two months of 2025 in Galway City was concerning.

“We now know that the government knew in advance of the election that they had fallen well short of their housing targets, but they kept this from the public. There is no sign of any change since then.

“We have a new housing Minister, but the same approach to housing. We shouldn’t expect any change in this soon. We’ve long had a deliberate undersupply.

“They’ve barely hit 35,000 new homes a year for the last few years. If the first two months of this year are anything to go by, then it looks that that trend of undersupply will continue.

“This spells bad news for anyone looking to buy a home, with further price increases that can be expected”.

The Department’s data shows that throughout the country, 1,017 homes commenced in February 2025. On a rolling 12- month basis, 64,175 homes commenced, up 79% on the previous 12 months.

Of the homes commenced in February, 21% are scheme dwellings, 61% are apartments and 18% are for one-off units.

Pictured: Deputy Mairéad Farrell.