The accuracy of figures used by officials to assess the depth of the housing crisis has again been called into question by the chief economist at Goodbody after an authoritative private survey suggested a lot fewer homes were under construction than currently thought.

The construction of new homes was up by a third in the 12 months up to June, but a substantial increase in building activity is needed.

The construction of new homes was up by a third in the 12 months up to June, but a substantial increase in building activity is needed.

Only 11,000 new housing completions are expected this year — as housing demand continues to outstrip supply.

New housing starts have again disappointed with fewer than 1,800 units having been started in the last three months of last year, according to business group Property Industry Ireland.

Kerry has the lowest number of vacant commercial properties in the country followed by Wexford and Westmeath, while Munster tops the provincial table with the fewest number of vacancies.

Recent policy initiatives and market recovery should allow for an air of “modest optimism” around the prospects for sustained SME sector growth, a report suggests.

Half of the 63,000 additional people in work since employment bottomed out in the first half of 2012 are working for themselves and have no paid employees.

Despite recent good news on the economic outlook, SMEs are not demanding more credit to any noticeable extent, according to a new report.

The state-owned German development bank KfW is to contribute funding to the planned Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, part of the remit of which will be to improve funding availability to domestic SMEs.

A two-tier property market in Ireland is emerging, with house prices rising or stabilising in Dublin but continuing to drop in cities and towns outside of the capital.

House prices have fallen by around 50% since the peak of the housing boom, two reports revealed today.

HOUSE prices have plummeted over 50% since the peak of the housing boom, according to two separate surveys published today.

Property prices are down again for the third quarter of the year.

HOUSE prices have finally begun to see a mini-recovery — but only if the property has an address in Monaghan, Carlow or Galway city.

A MORTGAGE today will cost a first-time buyer couple half of what it cost five years ago.

Two new reports out today show house prices have dipped considerably since the start of the year, especially in Dublin and Galway.

House prices have plunged almost 40% since the peak of the boom, two property reports revealed today.

House prices nationally are back to 2002 levels, according to the latest figures from MyHome.ie.

HOMEOWNERS are spending almost €700 less per month on their mortgage repayments, but experts said it has never been harder to get a home loan.

New figures show the average first time buyer working couple is now allocating 12.6% of their joint income to mortgage payments.

HOUSES are more affordable now than at any time in the last quarter of a century with first-time buyers accounting for a third of the mortgage lending sector.

MORTGAGE applications at EBS Building Society surged 66% over the last three months compared with the first quarter as affordability improves.

THE affordability index for first-time buyers continues to improve dramatically despite recent cuts in incomes.

FIRST-TIME buyer couples can save €2,600 when purchasing a home compared with two years ago.

Affordability has remained stable for the average first-time buyer working couple in Ireland throughout 2007, according to the latest EBS/DKM Affordability Index, published by Irish Property Buyer magazine.

THE amount of income spent by first-time buyer couples nationally servicing their mortgages has rocketed from 14.5% in 1996 to 27%.

Couples buying their first home spend up to a third of their income on a mortgage, a survey showed today.

HOUSE price inflation is coming to an end and house completions are expected to fall from a high of 67,000 this year to 45,000 in coming years, a major report by Davy Stockbrokers predicts.

THE price of the average home in the US is 25% cheaper than Ireland figures released on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday reveal.