The commencements of new homes have fallen for a fifth consecutive month.
New figures by the Department of Housing show there were just 411 new housing commencements in October, down from 509 the month before.
The government says the high cost of raw materials is to blame for the situation.
Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin says this will affect the completion of homes next year:
"It is very concerning. My understanding that it's primarily a result of a private sector slowdown, because of rising interest rates and construction sector inflation. We have known for some time from industry commentators and from builders and developers themselves, that this slowdown was anticipated and is expected to run into next year. It's unlikely to affect the overall output of homes this year".
