Phil Hogan
Question:
188
Deputy Phil Hogan
asked the
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
if he will establish an authoritative property index to properly inform housing policy particularly relating to State intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5431/09]
View answer
My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. Among the areas of activity covered are statistics on:
the delivery of various social and affordable housing supports
housing construction activity
inspections in the private rented sector
house prices and lending activity
The full range of data compiled can be viewed on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.
My Department's index of new and second-hand house prices is collated on the basis of data supplied by lending institutions which are based on loan approvals, not loans paid out, and this is published on a quarterly basis.
My officials have been in consultation with the Central Statistics Office regarding the possible development of a new house price index which, if developed, would allow for better disaggregation of data and therefore more detailed analysis of the type of housing bought and of the categories of purchaser. It is hoped that this index would encompass data from all the main lending institutions operating in Ireland and my Department has met with representatives of the banking sector to brief them on the proposed project.
Work on this index is still at a developmental stage. Depending on the outcome of feasibility analyses and on the resources that can be allocated to the project I would hope to see progress on this by the end of 2009.
