This is how long it takes first-time buyers to save for a house in different parts of the country

First-time buyers now have to save for up to four years to buy a house, regulators have revealed.

Research on the difficulty of getting a foot on the property ladder found a couple with no children in a rented two-bedroom property in Dublin have to put money away for at least two and half years to afford a three-bedroomed home of their own.