House prices across the State rose by 1.7 per cent in January after increasing by 1.5 per cent in December, according to the Irish Permanent House Price Index.

For the first time since last September, house prices in Dublin expanded at a faster rate than elsewhere, rising by 1.8 per cent compared to 1.7 per cent in the rest of the State.

Prices State-wide were 19.6 per cent ahead of January last year after posting a year-on-year rise of 17.9 per cent in December. The average price paid by a first-time buyer rose to £99,219 in January from £82,881 a year earlier, while the average cost to a second-time buyer was £132,424 compared to £110,216 in January 1999.