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Housing targets unlikely to be met as commencements slow, ESRI warns

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The Government’s housing targets will not be met this year or next, the Economic Social and Research Institute (ESRI) has warned.

In its latest quarterly economic bulletin, the think tank predicted house completions would rise to 35,000 this year after a better-than-expected out-turn in the second quarter.

While this would be an increase on the level of completions seen last year (30,330), it would still fall short of Government targets.

Completions for next year are also expected to come in below target at just under 36,000 on the back of what the ESRI described as “a notable slowdown in commencements this year following the policy-related spike in 2024”.

Commencements hit a post-crash record last year as builders rushed to avail of development levy waivers brought in to stimulate housing construction, but they have fallen away since.

The Coalition has set a target of building 303,000 homes between 2025 and 2030, when its term in office is due to end.

The revised targets would mean delivering an average of 50,500 homes per year.

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Under the revised Housing for All targets set by the previous administration, that meant delivering 41,000 homes this year, rising incrementally to 60,000 homes in 2030.

However, a slowdown in construction linked to higher borrowing costs has placed a question mark over these targets.

[ More than half of local authorities must double housing output to hit new targets ]

In its report, the ESRI also highlighted a rise construction sector earnings relative to other sectors, which it warned might have implications for the delivery of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the housing targets.

“As evidenced by the recent rise in construction wages, the sector is unlikely to have the capacity to simultaneously increase housing output substantially, invest in critical infrastructure, and retrofit and renovate the existing housing stock at full employment,” the ESRI said.

“Trade-offs will have to be made and certain activities given priority to meaningfully address these bottlenecks,” it said.

In its latest assessment, the ESRI said the Irish economy continues “to perform robustly” despite the uncertainty triggered by US tariffs.

The most recent data show strong growth in consumption expenditure (up 3 per cent annually in the second quarter), in employment (up 2.3 per cent annually in the second quarter) and in tax receipts (4.4 per cent up to the end of August).

The institute said it expected “this positive situation to continue over the forecast horizon”.

It predicted modified domestic demand (MDD), a more accurate measure of the domestic economy, would grow by 3.8 per cent in 2025 and by 3.2 per cent in 2026.

[ The Irish Times view on the latest housing figures: more worrying signs ]

In a separate assessment of the economy, employers’ group Ibec said it expected a more challenging global environment to translate into weaker growth in the second half of 2025 and 2026 “as changes in the global trade environment impact on trade and investment”.

“Despite an increasingly uncertain global environment, the Irish economy continues to show remarkable momentum and resilience, with all indicators pointing to strong current performance, albeit with some caution,” Gerard Brady, Ibec’s chief economist, said.

“Over the first three quarters of the year, domestic investment has broadly held up, consumer spending has grown at a steady pace, and employment has continued to expand.

“But we are starting to see early signs of softening in some labour market indicators, including our own member surveys which indicate slower hiring. We expect employment which has grown at a remarkable rate in recent years to slow below 2 per cent next year,” Mr Brady said.

“However, we remain in a vulnerable position because of the external factors. Whilst the public finances are in a strong position currently, they are also very vulnerable to a more volatile global environment.”

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Government warned to scale back spending

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25 September 2025

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The Government has been warned to scale back spending or risk overheating the economy.

In its latest quarterly bulletin, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) said the Government’s fiscal stance, including the proposed €9.4 billion budget for next year, was adding to demand pressures at the wrong time in the economic cycle.

This could be damaging in the long-term “if capacity constraints or cost inflation” prevent the full delivery of the National Development Plan (NDP), it said. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Eoin also tells us that the Government’s housing targets will not be met this year or next, the Economic Social and Research Institute (ESRI) has warned.

The think tank predicted house completions would rise to 35,000 this year after a better-than-expected outturn in the second quarter.

Moves by the Trump administration to force pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices in the United States would dramatically lower Irish corporation tax receipts, new research has warned.

However, the impact would not feed through to the exchequer until at least 2027, as corporation tax is paid a year in arrears. Dominic Coyle reports

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C&C Group, the drinks company behind Bulmers and Tennent’s, faces limited sales growth over the medium term if it does not carry out mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to boost its stable of brands, according to analysts in a new report from RBC Capital Markets.

A “leading premium or craft” drinks brand deal, priced in the order of £200 million, would make more sense than targeting a key brand in the UK, RBC analyst Tania Maciver suggested in the report. A transaction of that size would equate to almost 40 per cent of C&C’s current market value. Joe Brennan reports.

The loss of 520 units in the retail and wholesale sector was the main driver as the rate of empty commercial properties across the State climbed to a record high of 14.6 per cent in the second quarter, new data shows.

A total of 30,800 commercial units were classified as vacant in buildings data group GeoDirectory’s latest commercial vacancy rates report. The analysis, prepared by EY, found the rate increased in 17 out of 26 counties compared with a year earlier. Colin Gleeson reports.

Countries are increasingly looking to retain control over sensitive data rather than leave it in the hands of private operators driven by profit. So should Ireland have its own sovereign AI? Ciara O’Brien reports.

Resident sage Cantillon notes that Bank of Ireland’s technology has been listed by Autonomous, the international financial sector research firm (owned by AllianceBernstein), as up there with the best in Europe. Cantillon also notes that efforts by Spanish lender BBVA to create Europe’s third-biggest lender appear to be coming to a head. And finally, our sage sees Aer Lingus blotting its copybook in the key US market.

The cyber security incident in Dublin Airport at the weekend was for air travel passengers, but the world we live and work in today is heavily reliant on invisible companies. That’s not a bad thing. An awful lot of the work these companies do is incredibly boring, despite being vital to basic day-to-day activities.

Improving oversight on important boring work is the only way to reduce such incidents in the future, argues Emmet Ryan in his column.

While motorists are becoming more used to the idea that electric vehicles are here to stay, there is still an element of consumer unease about buying one. The range anxiety issue has largely been addressed. What hasn’t is battery life and exactly how this piece of the puzzle works, especially when it comes to trading in and valuing a vehicle for the used car market.

Olan O’Sullivan cofounded BatteryCycle with Professor Fabiano Pallonetto last year to plug this battery evidence gap. Olive Keogh spoke to him.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 brings all the things you liked about the original buds and a few you may never have used – active noise cancelling, spatial awareness, conversational awareness to dip your audio – with some new technology wrapped inside, writes Ciara O’Brien in her review.

Green energy business Galetech Group has bought 50 per cent of wind turbine repair specialist, Blade Technical Services (BTS), the company confirmed on Tuesday.

Co Cavan-based Galetech employs 130 people in providing technical advice, project management, maintenance and other services to wind, solar and energy storage firms. Barry O’Halloran reports

If you’d like to read more about the issues that affect your finances, try signing up to On the Money, the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.

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An Roinn Oideachais: Ní thugtar diolúintí ó staidéar na Gaeilge ach i gcásanna eisceachtúla

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(This article is produced by our Gaeltacht team.  You can read the English version here. )

TAR ÉIS GUR tugadh chun solais go bhfuair an líon is mó riamh daltaí meánscoile diolúintí ó staidéar na Gaeilge i gclár faisnéise TG4, rinne urlabhraí ón Roinn Oideachais agus Óige cosaint ar an gcóras ag rá gur i gcásanna éisceachtúla amháin a cheadaítear diolúine ach gur gá féachaint ar an scéal i “comhthéacs níos leithne”.

San eagrán de chuid Iniúchadh TG4/TG4 Investigates a craoladh aréir, tugadh chun solais go raibh 60,946 dalta iar bhunoideachais – nó 14.3% den líon iomlán – tar éis diolúintí a fháil ó staidéar na Gaeilge don scoilbhliain 2024/25.

Méadú de bhreis is 5,000 é seo ar líon na ndiolúintí a tugadh amach do 2023/24 agus is dúbailt é, nach mór, ar an méid diolúintí a tugadh amach seacht mbliana ó shin.

I bhfreagra ón Roinn Oideachais agus Óige ar an scéal seo, dúirt urlabhraí gur i gcásanna éascaachtúla ar leith a tugtar diolúintí do dhaltaí a ligeann dóibh gan staidéar a dhéanamh ar an teanga.

“Ní mór féachaint ar líon na ndiolúintí ar staidéar na Gaeilge i gcomhthéacs níos leithne,” dúirt urlabhraí na Roinne.

“Tá líon an gclárú ag leibhéal an iar bhun oideachais tar éis méadú ó 362,899 i 2018/19 go dtí 425,411 in 2024/25 agus is ionann sin agus méadú 17%.
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“Tá breis is 18,000 dalta ón Úcráin tar éis clárú, 11,267 ag an mbunleibhéal agus 6,946 sa chóras iar bhunoideachais.

“Tá ardú ag teacht ar líon na bpáistí le riachtanais oideachais speisialta atá coimpléacsach agus is fianaise ar seo go bhfuil beagnach 1700 rang speisialta nua á sholáthar sa chóras oideachais agus go bhfuil clárúcháin scoileanna speisialta arduithe 300 gach bliain.”

Dúradh sa ráiteas ón Roinn Oideachais agus Óige go raibh beagnach 28.000 dalta le riachtanais oideachais speisialta i ranganna speisialta nó i scoileanna speisialta sa scoil bhliain 2024/25.

“Is ionann seo agus beagnach 3% de dhaonra iomlán na ndaltaí atá ag freastal ar bhunscoileanna agus iar bhunscoileanna ar fud na tíre,” arsa urlabhraí na Roinne.


Rónán Ó hIcí Aontas Daltaí Iar Bhunscoile na hÉireann

Tá duine de cheannairí Aontas Daltaí Iar-Bhunscoile na hÉireann, Rónán Ó hIcí, Oifigeach na Gaeilge leis an eagras, den tuairim go bhfuil an Roinn Oideachais ag ligean síos na ndaltaí a fhaigheann díolúine mar nach bhfuil aon phlean straitéiseach acu chun an scéal a fheabhsú.

“Is teip atá i gceist leis an gcaoi go gcaitear leis an nGaeilge sa chóras oideachais i láthair na huaire, agus is iad na díolúintí toradh na teipe seo,” dúirt sé le The Journal.

“Is é ár n-éileamh ná chun polasaí cuimsitheach don nGaeilge ón luathoideachas go dtí an tríú leibhéal, bunaithe ar an bhFráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach, curaclam a léiríonn go bhfuil an Ghaeilge ann do chách – bíodh sin gur inimirceach tú, gur pháiste le riachtanais speisialta tú, nó gur cainteoir dúchais thú.”

Dar le hÓ hIcí, ba cheart go mbeadh an córas níos solúbtha ná mar atá agus go mbeadh rogha ag daltaí tabhairt faoin teanga a fhoghlaim trí chóras Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge atá mar chuid den Fhráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach. Thabharfadh sin deis dóibh Gaeilge a fhoghlaim mar theanga chumarsáide agus, le cois, thabharfadh sé cáillíocht atá aitheanta ar fud na hEorpa dóibh freisin.

Dúradh freisin sa ráiteas ón Roinn Oideachais agus Óige go raibh obair ar bun sa Roinn ar pholasaí nua a fhorbairt ar oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge agus go mbeadh seo á fhoilsiú, ag brath ar bheannú an Aire an Fhómhair seo.

“Tá críoch á chur ar phlean gnímh don Ghaeilge i scoileanna a fheidhmíonn trí Bhéarla faoi láthair agus tá súil go bhfoilseofar é, ag brath ar bheannacht an Aire a bheith faighte aige, an Fhómhair seo, agus go mbeadh sé curtha i bhfeidhm idir seo agus Meán Fómhair 2027.

Luadh beartais eile i measc tacaíocht bhreise d’oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge agus don Ghaeilge mar ábhar atá á ullmhú nó forbartha ag an Roinn. Ina measc tá tacaíocht á thabhairt don Chomhairle Um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta chun ranganna a chur ar fáil chun scileanna Gaeilge a fheabhsú agus fearas uirlisí chun treoir a thabhairt le haghaidh slite beatha agus roghanna oideachais ard leibhéil le Gaeilge.

Beartas eile a luaigh urlabhraí na Roinne ná maoiniú d’Fhoras na Gaeilge chun an togra Gaelbhratach a chur chun cínn, togra a spreagann scoileanna scéimeanna chun níos mó Gaeilge a úsáid a chur i bhfeidhm. Tá beartais eile ann chun cur le hoiliúint múinteoirí maidir le múineadh na Gaeilge do dhaltaí le riachtanais éagsúla.

Tá tacaíocht á fháil ag Beartas Gaeltachta The Journal ón Scéim Tuairiscithe ar Dhaonláthas Áitiúil 

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  • 12 August 2025
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