House prices outside Dublin have out-performed the capital for the first time since the recession began, new official figures show.

Property Industry Ireland (PII) has called for the Vat rate on houses to be cut from 13.5% to 9% for two years in order to address the “acute” lack of supply of affordable owner-occupied, rental, and social housing.

21,000 target for new homes for this year In 2014 just over 11,000 new homes became available.

Drugs worth almost £1.5m and cash totalling £44,000 have been seized during a police crackdown on street dealers in the North.

The majority of home-buyers will in future have to put down a 20% deposit and be able to borrow a maximum of 3.5 times their salary, according to new rules by the Central Bank.

The Dáil's Environment Committee is scrutinising the latest trends in the property market this afternoon.

Property prices rose by more than 13% nationally in the year to July and increased by 23.2% in Dublin in the same period.

House prices in Dublin have soared by more than €6,600 a month since the start of April, according to a study, as CSO figures show prices to be 24.4% dearer than a year ago.

House prices in Dublin are now rising at more than seven times the rate of the rest of the country.

House prices are rising at the quickest rate since the peak of the property boom seven years ago, latest official figures show.

Ireland is fast becoming an urban nation, with Dublin among the most congested cities worldwide, according to Property Industry Ireland, the organisation that represents businesses in the property and construction sector.

A Government plan to help people get a mortgage is looking at the issue 'from the wrong side', according to lobby group Property Industry Ireland (PII).

A shortage of suitable sites and a complex planning system is slowing down the delivery of new houses that is contributing to the current rapid rise in property prices in some areas.

PATSY McGONAGLE will lead the Irish track and field team into the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

More than twice as many men as women are unemployed after the loss of 27,700 jobs in the construction industry over the last 12 months, it emerged today.

Construction workers were dealt another blow today with official figures showing jobs in the industry dropped by more than 15% over the last 12 months.

A total of almost 278,000 people are directly employed in construction, which is an increase of over 15,200 new employees since June of this year, according to figures released by the CSO.

TWO sets of figures were released yesterday that show a buoyant building industry is facing difficult times with a significant fall-off in the number of planning permissions being granted for new houses.

An overwhelming number of children in Northern Ireland support a ban on smoking, a new report revealed today.