North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea has welcomed the publication of CSO data in respect of housing completions in 2018, showing significant advancements in new dwellings in County Cork last year. 1,508 new houses were completed in County Cork in 2018, including 425 in Q4 alone. A further 263 houses were completed in Cork City in 2018.
Nationally, the figures show a 25% increase in new houses last year, with over 18,000 new homes being built. Cllr. O’Shea said in addition, more than 2,500 homes were brought out of long-term vacancy, and almost 800 dwellings in unfinished housing developments were completed, meaning the number of new homes available for use increased by almost 21,500 last year.
Cllr. O’Shea said: “Rebuilding Ireland is a key focus of this government and Fine Gael is working to substantially increase the supply of new homes. On the back of these figures, we need to drive new builds higher again in 2019. Increasing the supply of houses in Ireland is contributing to the moderation in the growth in house prices, which will be welcome news for everyone. Across County Cork we are seeing new housing developments being built and it is imperative that we keep moving forward to ensure that we properly house our growing population.”
Cllr. O’Shea’s colleague, Eoghan Murphy TD, the Housing Minister, commented: “We will continue to make every effort to protect people in housing insecurity, to move people out of emergency accommodation and to help people who are paying too high a rent or who are unable to afford to buy a home. But increasing supply remains at the root of solving all of these problems, and that is exactly what Rebuilding Ireland is doing.”
