The number of new homes approved by Irish planning authorities fell by more than 27% during the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period in 2008.

In total, around 14,000 homes were given the go-ahead during the first three months of 2009.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), this included 10,256 houses and 3,391 apartment units, representing a 23.7% fall, year-on-year.

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The approval granted for houses was down 22.9%, compared to the 13,301 approved last year.

Green-lighting for apartments also dropped by around a quarter.

One-off houses represented 19.3% of approved plans, accounting for 2,743 new homes.

During the same period in 2008 this figure stood at 4,012.

CSO said the 7,486 homes approved between January and March were in housing developments.

This compares with 11,055 in the first quarter of 2008, a decrease of 32.3%.

Total floor area planned was 3,419 thousand square metres in the first quarter of 2009.

Of this, 61.1% was for new dwellings, 25.4% for other new constructions and 13.4% for extensions.

(PR/BMcC)