Housing commencement figures since the beginning of 2024 demonstrate that Fine Gael measures to improve housing supply in County Cork are working, a Fine Gael General Election candidate has said.
Councillor John Paul O’Shea was speaking following the release of the Department of Housing’s monthly data on the number of Commencement Notices (residential construction starts) for the year to date.
The latest figures revealed that there were 2,235 commencements in County Cork in the first seven months of the year.
Cllr O’Shea said: “These figures once again highlight the significant progress we are making on housing. Nationally, 35,358 homes were commenced since the beginning of the year, close to double the 18,546 in the same period of 2023.
“This equates to an average of 240 homes being commenced every working day so far this year.
“Supply of housing in County Cork continues to ramp up, with 145 commencements in July bringing the 2024 total to 2,235.
“This provides further evidence that Government initiatives such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the First Home Scheme are having a real impact for people wanting to get on the property ladder. Along with these figures, earlier this week we saw encouraging numbers of first-time buyers getting mortgage approvals.
“Fine Gael is working to ensure that more homes are being built making home ownership a reality for all across society by building private, affordable and social homes right across the country. We as a party will continue to support home ownership in the upcoming Budget.
“Sinn Fein has opposed the development of homes inCounty Cork and across the country at every turn by voting against schemes offering real support to people to purchase their own homes,” Cllr O’Shea concluded.
