Nearly 80,000 houses and apartments were built last year - significantly higher than some pessimistic forecasts, according to Department of the Environment figures to be published today.
The figures are expected to be used by Minister of State for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas Batt O'Keeffe today as evidence that construction is not as vulnerable as some have feared.
The final figure is more than 1,000 units higher, but still close, to a prediction in late summer by DKM Consultants for the Department of the Environment's Construction Industry Review.
Nearly 18,000 houses and apartments were completed in Dublin, while 24,974 were built in Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow collectively during the course of the year.
Despite long-standing fears about the difficulties caused by one-off housing the latest figures show that one quarter of all properties built last year - 19,663 homes - were single developments.
In all, 39,273 houses in estates were constructed by developers, while 18,691 apartments are amongst the figures - 24.1 per cent of the total result.
Mr O'Keeffe said last night that the adjustment now taking place in the housing market involved "some pain", but there would also be gains, "particularly in terms of better housing affordability and also reduced pressure on cost competitiveness in the overall economy, which is vital to our continued success" .
The 2007 figures are down on the 2006 total, when 93,419 houses and apartments were built, though the majority of the slow-down appears to have affected regions outside Dublin most of all.
In 2006, 19,470 units were built in Dublin, though this fell last year to 17,725. The number built in Dublin and surrounding commuter counties dropped from 29,987 to 24,974.
However, the drop in the remaining counties was more significant, dropping from 63,432 units to 53,053.
In Cork city and county, the number of housing completions dropped from 9, 141 to 8,686.
The housing figures for last year bring the industry back to performance figures achieved in 2004 when 76,954 properties were built.
In 2005, 80,957 units were built, and 93,419 in 2006.
