Figures from GeoDirectory show that there was a 30% fall in the number of new buildings built last year compared with 2010.
GeoDirectory is a joint venture between Ordnance Survey Ireland and An Post.
In 2011, just over 12,000 new buildings were built in the Republic, bringing the total number of buildings 1.88 million. The figures for last year show a decrease of 87% on the boom figures for 2007.
The biggest number of new buildings was in Cork, with 1,543. Leitrim recorded the smallest figure of 154. Sligo, where 217 new buildings were identified, showed the biggest fall in new building activity with a 63% drop compared with 2010.
Of the total built last year 10,284 were residential buildings, 1,661 were commercial and 292 dual-purpose buildings with both residential and commercial components.
