Mr. Paul Mulligan:

Within RTE there was certainly what was called a property stream of programmes. There were four of five different programmes, but these did not all run at the same time; some of them ran for two years and some for three years. They existed before the property boom. There are probably three programmes currently on RTE that have nothing to do with the property boom but are in the same area. They are there because the Irish people have a fascination - maybe not an obsession, which was the word used yesterday - but a fascination with property that is historically well based. There is a huge interest in property. It may not be unique to Irish viewers. Some of the commercial channels in the UK seem to specialise in property programmes and they are very popular. There is an interest in property programmes and in design and in developments in eco-housing. There is a huge interest in property. However, the advertising around those programmes was likely to be for soap powder, toiletries and cosmetics and other products. There was nobody selling houses around those programmes.