Momentum holds strong in Waterford as Minister Cummins welcomes latest home commencement figures

The latest figures released today by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage show that 853 new homes were commenced throughout Waterford in the first seven months of the year, an increase of 605% on the 121 homes that were commenced during the same period last year.

Nationwide, a total of 18,974 new homes were commenced since the start of the year, an increase of 152% on the 7,539 homes commenced in the first seven months of 2025 and representing the second highest number of new homes since recording began in 2014.

The positive momentum observed in the first seven months of this year builds on strong figures for 2024 and 2025 combined when a total of 85,723 new homes were commenced, an increase of 43% compared with the combined total for the previous two-year period (2022 and 2023).

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD, welcomed the latest figures:

“It's great to see such strong figures as we move into the second half of the year, not just here in Waterford but throughout the country. However, as I've said previously, we will not allow ourselves to get complacent. We have set ourselves ambitious targets in the Government's Housing Action Plan, 'Delivering Homes, Building Communities', and we need to keep our shoulder firmly to the wheel to maintain the momentum needed to reach those targets.

“These are not just statistics. Every new commencement marks the beginning of a journey that will result in someone having a new home and the safety and security of their own front door.”

Of the 853 new homes commenced in Waterford in the first seven months of the year, 616 (72%) are scheme dwellings, 169 (20%) are apartments, and 68 (8%) are for one-off units.