Quotes of the Week

"These are no longer sufficiently attractive to purchasers who could otherwise buy on the open market without restrictions. In these difficult times, the Docklands Authority is making every effort to ensure that qualified applicants can take advantage of our schemes and so have adjusted the conditions accordingly." (Paul Moloney, Dublin Docklands Development Authority in The Irish Times regarding removal of selling restrictions from affordable homes under the DDDA's control)

"I SEE that Government sources have said that Nama, the National Asset Management Agency, is unlikely to employ any Irish estate agencies for the purposes of valuing the properties it acquires. What an indictment of Irish auctioneers. Is the Government really saying there is not one in the country who can be trusted to give a fair and reasonable value on a property?" (Sarah Carey, The Irish Times)

"If you were selling your house tomorrow would you give the sale to an auctioneer who might advise potential customers not to buy at the asking price? Of course not. You’d sue him if you found out he told buyers to hang on until next year. He might advise you to wait a couple of years, but if you gotta sell, you gotta sell. Within all bounds of decency – but using all his skill as a negotiator and salesman – you are paying the auctioneer to get the best price." (Sarah Carey, The Irish Times)

"Dublin City Council handles 4,000 applications a year, many of which are controversial. Will the members now require an inquiry into every difficult decision to be made? There is already an independent process in place through An Bord Pleanála to deal with appeals against decisions of the city council and it demonstrates due diligence and fair process in action." (Dublin city manager John Tierney, in a letter to Fine Gael councillor Paddy McCartan)