28,500 new homes to be completed next year

The Central Bank said the true number of home completions will be around 23,500 this year and 28,500 in 2019. But its new research is unlikely to put the controversy over counting new homes to bed any time soon, writes Eamon Quinn.

That’s because a lively debate has long flared about the accuracy of Irish statistics used by government officials from which key public decisions flow — including deciding where to build primary schools and hospitals.

In recent weeks, the ESRI spoke out about a new measure of economic wealth proposed by a high-level panel of official experts.