House prices seen peaking, NTA’s €350m plan and is it time to end Help to Buy

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House prices may be close to their peak, say agents. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien/The Irish Times
House prices may be close to their peak, say agents. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien/The Irish Times

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We begin with two property stories today.

Almost two-thirds of estate agents believe house prices are either close to or at their peak, as the Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCSI) predicts that residential propertyu prices will stabilise in the medium term and increase by just 1 per cent this year. Ellen O’Regan has the story.

Separately, a report from GeoDirectory shows renting became increasingly more affordable for first-time buyers last year than taking out a mortgage on a new home as both borrowing costs and house prices kept climbing. Ian Curran reports.

Staying with the property theme, Fiona Reddan asks in her column if its now time to end Help to Buy.

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As Oliver Callan formally takes over from Ryan Tubridy at 9am on RTÉ Radio 1, Laura Slattery looks at what’s really going on in the radio market.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is to pay an estimated €350 million to a partner to help deliver the BusConnects scheme for Dublin. Gordon Deegan reports that the BusConnects programme, which plans to overhaul the bus system in the city, has two main components: creating 230km of dedicated bus lanes in tandem with 200km of cycle tracks, as well as redesigning the bus network. The spine of the network is to be 12 dedicated bus corridors. It will also improve facilities for pedestrians.

A call by employers group Ibec for a pause on further increases in the national minimum wage and other labour policy measures planned by the Government has been branded “wrong and shameful” by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu). Colin Gleeson has the latest on the row.

Colin also reports that Northern Ireland-headquartered construction group Graham has won a £70 million (€81.8 million) contract to redesign and develop a building in Nottingham for student accommodation.

Irish-linked renewables developer Source Galileo plans to develop commercial green hydrogen production here and in Britain with French group Lhyfe. Barry O’Halloran reports.

As we head into US earnings season, Cantillon looks at what will really drive future of AI development, and it’s not altruism, while also assessing an Irish company developing a glue that could be used to literally stick broken bones back together,

In Your Money, Dominic Coyle deals with a query from a person struggling to sell the family to manage a Fair Deal debt, while Community Enterprise Association Ireland CEO Siobhán Finn reveals if she is a spender or a saver.

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