The recovery of Dublin property prices continues to far outstrip the rest of the country, with homes in the capital now selling for an average of up to 30% higher than elsewhere, two separate reports on first-quarter trends show.

The weak supply of new houses in the Dublin region will be one of the main challenges facing the property market next year, it was claimed.

House prices in Dublin are soaring and are almost a third above the national average, with the gap expected to widen before the end of 2014.

A new report shows the average asking price for a three-bed semi-detached house in Dublin is now 26% above the national average.

Residents flooded for the second time in seven months have threatened to take their case to Europe in a bid to force the Government to act on flood prevention plans.

House prices fell by nearly 3% in the last three months of 2012, bringing last year’s overall drop to 14.8%.

House prices in Dublin rose in the last quarter showing signs of stability in the market, two new reports have found.

This week street trend meets Caroline Kelleher and Patricia Looney, both from Cork.