New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that planning permissions were granted for 12,481 houses in 2016, up 22% on the previous year and the highest number since 2009.
The CSO said this was a reversal of the trend which saw planning permissions fall from a high of 26,814 houses in 2009 to a low of 5,389 in 2012.
Planning permissions were granted for 3,894 apartments last year, up 39% on the 2,794 units in 2015.
Meanwhile, the number of multi-development houses granted planning permission rose by 24% to 8,251 last year from 6,658 in 2015.
The CSO noted that once-off houses accounted for a quarter of all new dwelling units which secured planning permission during 2016.
Today's figures from the CSO also show that during the fourth quarter of 2016, planning permissions were granted for 4,329 dwelling units, up 7.8% on the 4,017 units for the same time in 2015.
Planning permissions were granted for 3,245 houses in the fourth quarter of 2016, an increase of 17.8% on the 2,754 in the fourth quarter of 2015.
The CSO also said that planning permissions were granted for 1,084 apartment units, down 14.2% on the 1,263 units for the fourth quarter of 2015.
Meanwhile, planning permissions for new buildings for agriculture use decreased to 308 in the fourth quarter, compared to 420 permissions in the same quarter of 2015.
But on an annual basis, planning permissions for agriculture buildings jumped by 70% to 1,741 in 2016 from 1,029 in 2015.
