The number of houses and apartments built in the first ten months of this year is up 12% on the number built during the same period last year.
Figures released by the Department of the Environment today show that 61,000 dwellings were constructed up to October this year. Most of these were in the Dublin and greater Dublin areas.
Other large increases have been seen in counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow .
Labour's Eamon Gilmore said the record level of house-building masked the Government's failure to ensure that people on low and moderate incomes could afford a home of their own.
However, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Noel Ahern, rejected the accusation and insisted that the high number of houses and apartments being built in Ireland would prevent further huge rises in house prices.
