Disputed house-price increase figures
O’Keeffe challenges the Minister’s figures on house-price rises, arguing they approach 40%, while the Minister says the average increase was 24% and compares it with an earlier period. O’Keeffe alleges the figures conflict with the Minister’s previous answer and seeks an Adjournment debate; the Chair says he will respond.
Does the Minister not accept that new house prices have gone up by about 40 per cent since the Government came into power?
Comment on this
The average quarterly increase in new house prices, as published in the bulletin, from July 1977 to December 1978, was 6.3 per cent, and during the period April 1973 to July 1977, the increase was 6.6 per cent.
Comment on this
The Minister is confusing me. Do the figures the Minister has given add up to an increase of almost 40 per cent in the price of new houses since the present administration came to power?
Comment on this
The average increase has been 24 per cent, whereas the highest ever increase was about 37 per cent during the period of the last Government.
Comment on this
The Minister's figure today differs from that which he gave yesterday. Is he suggesting the increase has been only 24 per cent in the last 18 months?
Comment on this
I gave the increases during the last 12 months and I also compared the increases from July 1977 to December 1978 with the figures between April 1973 and July 1977.
Comment on this
The information now given by the Minister is in direct conflict with the answer given yesterday. One figure is therefore incorrect. In view of the serious nature of this matter I should like to raise it on the Adjournment tonight.
