Latest figures show there has been a 24.2% increase in the number of planning permissions granted compared with 2014.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) says in the third quarter, planning permissions were granted for 2,662 units - compared with 2,144 units for the same period in 2014.

The figures also show that permission was granted for 2,345 houses in the third quarter of 2015 and 1,783 in the third quarter of 2014 - an increase of 31.5%.

Planning permissions were granted for 317 apartment units - a decrease of 12.2%.

While one-off houses accounted for 35.7% of all new dwelling units granted planning permission in this quarter.

Total floor area planned was 1,306 thousand square metres in the third quarter.

Of this, 37.4% was for new dwellings, 40.2% for other new constructions and 22.4% for extensions.