Half of Ireland's construction companies have stopped building houses while they attempt to offload existing properties.

A report published today by Merrion Capital said that the current housing oversupply will take more than twelve months to clear up.

"The overall conclusion

Housing slump hurts construction kingpin

The Cavan-based Kingspan Group will see lowered earnings as a result of the construction slowdown.

The group, which includes Kingspan Century, Ireland's largest timber-frame building manufacturer issued a statement saying trading over the first four months of the

At US$125

The Irish Times reports that oil prices have stabilised at around US$125 this week while there has been a larger than expected inventory of stocks.

Meanwhile, today's Seattle Times is reporting 

But not in the fast lane

Construction down but finances up in Ireland of the future.

 The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has announced that the Irish economy could grow by 3.75 per cent annually over the next decade.

A report from the government-founded think tank says that, despite significant short-term problems, the economy

Prices for gas in the south and coal in the north both heading north

Next month the company will ask the Commission for Energy Regulation to allow an increase in consumer prices of up to nineteen

We're just journalists but…

 …now we're blogging.

As you can doubtlessly see, the Construct Ireland site has had a major revamp. Apart from the smart new design one new feature is the daily(ish) blog. Obviously we want your

High energy prices and growing public eco awareness is leading to a situation where people are giving existing homes energy upgrades on an unprecedented scale. Two recently renovated houses in Dublin are at the extremes of how even the most difficult existing dwellings can be made greener, as Jason Walsh reveals.

Just outside the quiet rural town of Templepatrick, County Antrim, located ten miles north of Belfast, is a timber frame house that sets new standards for comfort and, the owners hope, sustainability. Jason Walsh visited the house and found a traditional aesthetic that belies its ultra modern sustainability features

US senator and presidential candidate John McCain has called for mandatory caps on carbon emissions and is demanding that America reduces its emissions by, "at least 60 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050."

The moves comes as the race for the White House in 2008 hots up.

As reported yesterday, McCain, has been expected to distance