Construction work began on almost 1,200 new homes across Galway last year, according to new figures suggesting housing supply will increase in 2024.

The new data on commencement notices for new residential construction starts comes as a global index found Galway was the eighth most expensive European city to rent in per square metre – leading to calls for the re-introduction of a ban on no-fault evictions.

Commencement Notices for new homes received by Building Control Authorities showed there had been 282 construction starts in Galway City last year. This was an increase of 158% on 2022, when construction started on just 109 units.

In County Galway, there were a total of 890 Commencement Notices received – up by 13% on the 787 construction starts in 2022.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien hailed the figures as evidence housing supply was increasing and there was a “robust stock of new housing in the pipeline”.

Nationally, the data shows that between January and December 2023, 32,801 Commencement Notices for new homes were received – up 21.5% on the previous year and the highest level since records began in 2014.

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