Vol. 555 No. 1
268 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures he has taken to reduce the rate of increase in house prices; the outcome of those policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17654/02]
302 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the average price of a new house; the average price of a new house in 1997; the steps he is taking to resolve problems in the housing area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17694/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 302 together.
The unprecedented demand for housing, fuelled mainly by rapid economic growth and demographic changes, has been the major driver of house price increases in recent years. Therefore, a wide range of Government measures have been implemented to reduce excessive house price increases by boosting housing output and removing infrastructural and planning constraints on residential development. These have included: extensive measures to increase housing supply including the introduction of a greatly expanded local authority housing programme and the unprecedented expansion of the voluntary housing programme; increasing the supply of serviced residential land through targeted initiatives and the commitment of significant Exchequer funding – on foot of these initiatives, there is currently five to six years supply of serviced residential land nationally and in the greater Dublin area; securing the more efficient use of serviced housing land through higher residential densities; introduction of a range of measures to expand the capacity of the planning system, including the appointment of additional planning staff to local authorities and An Bord Pleanála; significantly improving the eligibility criteria under both the shared ownership and the affordable housing schemes; and the rebalancing of stamp duty rates to favour first time purchasers including increasing the exemption limit from €76,184 in 1997 to €190,500 currently.
