Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will establish a national house price register to provide accurate market information in the interest of transparency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19745/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy, and anonymised data on house prices and lending activity are included within that range. The full range of data compiled can be viewed on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

My Department's index of new and second-hand house prices is collated on the basis of data supplied by lending institutions, which are based on loan approvals, and this is published on a quarterly basis.

My Department has been in consultation with the Central Statistics Office regarding a new house price index which, if developed, would allow for better disaggregation of data and therefore more detailed analysis of house purchase transactions and the categories of purchaser. It is hoped that this index would encompass data from all the main lending institutions operating in Ireland and my Department has met with representatives of the banking sector to brief them on the proposed project.

Work on this index is still at a developmental stage. Depending on the outcome of feasibility analysis and on the resources that can be allocated to the project, I would hope to see progress on this by the end of 2009.