METRO Tuesday, September 29, 2009 D Houses selling for 2004 pricesMORE than 75,000 has been knocked off the average price of a house since the market peaked two and a half years ago. A new survey showed a rise in surplus stock has seen buyers purchasing homes for the same price as in January 2004. The permanent tsb/ESRI House Price Index for August showed that, in the first eight months of the year, the average national price fell by ten per cent to 235,260. Dubliners paid around 306,795, while those outside the capital forked out 204,524. The study revealed prices have dropped by a quarter since the market peaked in February 2007. TV presenter Craig Doyle and model Nadia Forde launch Dennys House on Wheels at the RDS. Denny wants to find out what the Irish public thinks makes a house a home. If you want to share what home means go to homeis.ie Picture: Photocall Home is... A BULL bound for the slaughterhouse made a last dash for freedom, dragging police down the street in a US town. The 635kg (1,400lb) bull was being unloaded at a meat company in Paterson, New Jersey, in the US when it broke loose. Officers tried to corral the bull with a lasso but he dragged them ten blocks before being finally captured and sedated. FLAMBOYANT comedian Dame Edna Everage dubbed Australias first lady will receive a prestigious award today in recognition of the entertainers career. The James Joyce Award will be presented to the performer, aka Barry Humphries (pictured), by the UCD Literary and Historical Society. Honour for Dame Edna A MAN has been charged following last weeks tiger kidnapping in Dublin. The boyfriend of a Permanent TSB bank official was held hostage and she was forced to take more than 300,000 from the bank. Tony Quinn, 29, with an address at Park View, Park Close, Ballymun, was arrested and has been charged with handling stolen money. Quinn was remanded in custody with consent to bail of 10,000. Man charged over raid Walk like an Egyptian: Ins Olabarra and Ernesto Cardona, stars of Europes largest ever production of Aida, prepare for its Dublin performance at The O2 IMPACT has begun balloting its 55,000 members for a national strike against the threat of further pay cuts. General secretary Peter McLoone (pictured) said public servants are absolutely convinced of further cuts, particularly since the Taoiseach has twice said they are being considered in the new budget. Union ballots for strike THE Government had a mole inside Northern Irelands Maze Prison during the 1981 IRA hunger strike, Dr Garret FitzGerald (pictured) has revealed. The former Taoiseach said a deal between the prisoners and the British could have been struck to prevent their deaths, but it was vetoed by IRA leadership. IRA vetoed strike deal THE expansion of a computer software firm is expected to create 80 jobs in Donegal. Tnaiste Mary Coughlan said the investment at the Sita plant in Letterkenny would bring more high value jobs to the region. It is also a further significant endorsement of Letterkenny and the whole North- West as a location where international investments can develop and thrive, the minister said. Firm to create 80 jobs LATEST figures from the Revenue Commissioners show that just 72 of the countrys 148 judges have signed up to take voluntary pay cuts. Earlier this year, figures showed that 19 judges had volunteered to make a contribution back to the State. The deal allows the members of the judiciary to make a voluntary contribution after it emerged that judges would be exempt from the pension levy. Judges slow to take cuts METRODigest 500m eU loan for green energy boostBy SARAH STACKA 500million loan was yes- terday invested in irelands elec- tricity sector by the European Unions bank. The huge loan will be used to construct around ten new wind farms around the country and part fund the east-west intercon- nector, due to link the electricity grids of ireland and Britain. Energy minister Eamon Ryan said the investment by the Euro- pean investment Bank (EiB) was about the future of irelands en- ergy supply and not the upcom- ing lisbon Treaty referendum. We are transforming energy policy in ireland and... invest- ment will propel this transforma- tion, said mr Ryan. We are well on the road to ire- land becoming world leader in green energy and the fight against climate change, he added. A total of 300million will be given to EirGrid to support the ireland Wales electricity inter- connector, which was given the go-ahead in recent weeks. The 260km underwater cable will link Rush, in north Co Dublin and Barkby beach in Wales, bringing power to 300,000 homes. And a 200million loan to the ESB will take the number of wind farms around the country to 17. The loans to be repaid over 25 and 12 years respectively bring total EiB support for ireland to 760million this year. The contract was signed in Dublin Castle by EiB vice presi- dent Plutarchos Sakellaris who shrugged off suggestions the funding announcement was timed to coincide with the referendum. if youre saying why didnt we sign it after the lisbon Treaty, i say the earlier the better for the irish economy, said mr Sakellaris. EirGrid chief Dermot Byrne said the investment package was a major milestone for irelands electricity infrastructure. Legal aid need up THE number of applicants for legal aid increased by almost 18 per cent last year. According to the legal Aid Boards annual report, there were more than 15,000 new applicants in 2008. The Board, which provides legal aid to those who cannot afford it, blamed the recession, saying: The main factor in this was the deteriorating economic situation. METRO Weather TODAy: Mainly dry and mild but overcast with a bit of a breeze. Max: 18C TOMORROW: Still settled and overcast with temperatures starting to drop. Max: 17C index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html