The total number of residential planning permissions granted dropped by 20.5 per cent in 2022, figures from the Central Statistics Office show.
Housing units accounted for 51 per cent of the 34,177 units approved. Apartments made up the remaining units.
The number of houses granted planning permission rose by 4.4 per cent on an annual basis to 17,454 housing units in 2022.
There was in contrast to the apartment situation: a large decline of 36 per cent saw just in 16,723 units approved.
Almost two in every three permissions granted for apartments in the State were obtained by the four Dublin local authorities — 10,803 units.
Dublin accounted for 65 per cent (10,803 units) of all apartments approved in 2022. This was followed by Cork (11 per cent, 1,857 units) and Limerick (4 per cent, 718 units).
There was an annual rise of 14 per cent in the number of multi-development houses receiving planning permission, compared with a decrease of 8 per cent in one-off houses.
In Quarter 4 (Q4) 2022, there was a decrease of almost 44 per cent in the total number of dwelling units approved planning permission at 7,597 units compared with 13,450 units in Q4 2021.
Planning permissions granted for apartment units fell by 54 per cent in Q4 2022 compared with Q4 2021, while there was a decline of 28 per cent in house permissions granted during the same period.
An annual reduction of 21 per cent was recorded in the number of planning permissions granted for all developments, with 5,691 permissions approved in Q4 2022 compared with 7,222 in Q4 2021.
Commenting on the figures, Statistician in the CSO's Business Statistic Division Shane O'Sullivan noted a decline in units approved under the Strategic Housing Development scheme.
"On an annual basis, the number of units approved (apartments and total houses) under the Strategic Housing Development scheme declined by 34 per cent in 2022," he said.
