Figures show increase in mortgage approvals
New figures show there was a 29.6% increase in mortgage approvals in December 2012 compared to the same month a year ago.
The Irish Banking Federation says lenders approved 1,446 mortgages last month, to the value of €234m.
The vast majority of loans were for property purchase, while 8% were for re-mortgages and top-ups.
Month-on-month figures declined, which was attributed to the relative lack of work days in December.
