Building and construction activity fell by almost a third in the second quarter of 2010, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The volume of output was 32.8 per cent lower in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2009, among the largest decreases in the euro zone and the European Union as a whole, while the value of production was down 31.8 per cent.
The CSO said the fall in the volume of production was largely due to a slump of more than 10 per cent in residential building work and a 7 per cent drop in non-residential building work.
The value of production for all building and construction was down 8.1 per cent while the volume of civil engineering fell 6.8 per cent.
Apart from Ireland, the other major European declines were seen in Latvia, where activity fell 35.3 per cent and Denmark, where it was down 23.2 per cent.
In contrast, Finland saw its building and construction sector rise by 17.8 per cent, while Malta and the UK experienced growth of 12.9 per cent and 10.1 per cent respectively.