That's according to CSO figures for the first quarter of the year.
There was a fall of 28% in the number of planning permissions granted for new homes in the first quarter of the year.
That's compared to the same period last year.
According to the CSO, houses accounted for 58% of new homes granted permission in Quarter 1 this year, with apartments making up the rest at 42%.
In the midlands, 48 new dwellings were granted planning permission in Laois, the highest in the region - followed by 42 in Offaly and 37 in Westmeath