December home loans hit €1.2bn

HOUSE HUNTERS borrowed €1.2bn in home loans in December, figures from the Central Bank revealed yesterday.

Detailing the level of debt in Ireland, the figures showed the amount owed to lending institutions by consumers rose by over €1bn in December to €142.7bn.

This was driven by a rise of €1.2bn in residential mortgage lending - the highest monthly increase during 2002.