Sir, - In the current climate the cost of the site for new houses around Dublin can represent as much as if not more than the construction cost, so it is difficult to see what can be done to bring down costs unless something is done about sites.
I suggest that the State acquires sites under compulsory purchase order as it does for road construction while compensating owners for the value of the land as agricultural land; the State then draws up building plans and invites builders to tender for the construction work; the houses are then sold onto the market at cost.
At a stroke this would halve prices while costing the State nothing. The losers would be, of course, those hoping to gain through the rezoning of their land, but since this is an unearned gain ought we really feel sorry for them? - Yours, etc., Paul Dixon,
Northumberlands, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.