House prices still rising but pace slows

SECOND-HAND house prices in Ireland rose by 13.1% last year, according to new figures from the country’s largest estate agents.

But the figure is below the growth rates of the past two years, the Sherry FitzGerald survey shows. In 2002 house prices soared by 20% and by 14.6% in 2003.

Dublin house prices continued to outpace the rest of the country, growing by 3.4% in the final three months of 2004, compared to a national average of 2.5%.