Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 4

Written Answers - Housing Policy.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

213 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, further to Question No. 440 of 1 May 2001, he will state the reasons the information sought is not available in his Department; the way in which the effectiveness of his Department's policies in relation to first time-buyers in north Dublin is assessed without this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13020/01]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

My Department obtains regular returns from mortgage lending institutions in respect of the prices of houses for which mortgage loans are approved and house loan survey data provided voluntarily by individual house purchasers and collected by the mortgage lending agencies. The quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletin, published by my Department, contains inter alia, information on house prices nationally and for Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. However, this information is not segregated into individual local authority areas or in the case of Dublin into postal districts.

Government policy in relation to first time house buyers is targeted at this category of home purchaser as a whole and the effectiveness of measures in relation to this grouping is assessed on this basis, taking account of price trends nationally and in the major urban areas.

I have appointed consultants to examine the current methodology for monitoring house prices, to recommend improvements and to establish a methodology for collating, analysing and producing more comprehensive house price information in the future. The consultants' report is nearing completion.