The number of planning permissions granted in the first three months of 2010 fell by 61.1% compared to the same time last year.
The figures are contained in a report from the Central Statistics Office.
The figures show that planning permission was granted for 5,510 new homes.
This compares with 14,177 in the first three months of 2009.
The CSO says that planning permission was granted to build 3,585 houses in the first quarter of the year, a 65% slump on the figure of 10,256 in the first quarter of 2009.
It also says that permission was given to build 1,925 apartments in the three-month period compared with 3,921 in the same time in 2009, which is a fall of 50.9%.
One-off houses accounted for 28% of all new units granted planning permission.
