Whatever Peter Bacon might intend, it seems certain that house prices out Leixlip way can only rise.

The latest good news from Intel president and chief executive Dr Craig Barrett of 1,000 more jobs at the company's Irish facility, in the largest single investment by a multinational in the Republic, will see more people flocking to the Kildare town, putting pressure on its housing stock.

The $2 billion investment is above all an affirmation of the Irish plant's success in delivering its products on time and to required quality levels in an industry where reliability of delivery is increasingly important.

And, despite growing concerns about skills shortages, it indicates the State still has one of the best pools of talent available to the high-technology sector anywhere at a reasonable cost.

We cannot be complacent but it is nice to know some of the main drivers of our economic success still believe in us even as we increasingly doubt ourselves and our ability to keep the boom going.