If you were expecting the Government to buckle under pressure from the Irish Home Builders' Association on the issue of "social and affordable" housing, you had better think again. The association has been busy lobbying the politicians on this issue, even though it is already enshrined in legislation. It has also been pushing for the removal of the two year withering rule for planning permissions, claiming that this and other impediments are generating uncertainty and leading to a fall-off in housing construction. But Environment Minister Noel Dempsey is not for turning, having told the Irish Planning Institute this week that the 20 per cent provision for social and affordable housing is now a permanent part of the housing and planning landscape for the foreseeable future.

It seems the builders are going to have to live with a dual pricing structure and two kinds of buyers on their estates. At the end of the day it should mean that developers will be paying less for development sites.