Marian Finnegan, Chief Economist for Sherry Fitzgerald

Irish Independent, 13 January 2006:

"The Irish market is showing a phenomenal performance in terms of output and prices so I will rate it 10 out of 10."

[...]

If you had €75,000 what would you choose as an Irish investment?

"Property still looks like providing fantastic opportunities in the years ahead."


Press Release, 1 July 2008:

"The results of the price barometer illustrate that the reprieve in the pace of price inflation evident in the first quarter has abated."


Press Release, 1 October 2009:

“The pace of price correction has moderated notably from the beginning of the year."

Simon Kelly, Former Property Developer & Columnist

Sunday Tribune, 4 April 2010:

"I will miss Anglo for this and it will be missed in the future by the whole economy.

[...]

So I say to Charlie Bird and the like: get off David's lawn and get out of Seán's front drive. They have lost everything but they still have to live. The bank failed because we all failed."

Irish Independent, 22 May 2010

"I feel liberated to walk away from it to be honest. When you own that amount of assets, it feels like the assets own you. I was in property for 15 years. Now I can do something I really want to do.

[...]

"My house is in my wife's name. There are reports that developers are transferring homes into their wives' names. Any smart developer would have done that right from the start."

Brian Lenihan, Minister for Finance

Seanad Eireann speech, 14 May 2008:

"However, what we do know is that the underlying demand for housing remains strong, driven by a relatively young population and continued inward migration. While we may experience a year or two of sub-50,000 completions, it is reasonable to expect over the medium term that annual completions will return to sustainable levels which will remain high by international standards, reflecting the strong underlying demand for housing in Ireland.

[...]

However, one aspect of the change in the housing market, which is being overlooked by commentators, is that the moderation in house price levels, when combined with measures on stamp duty and mortgage interest relief, taken by the Government at budget time, means that better value is being obtained for those wishing to buy their own home, particularly amongst the first-time buyer group."

Irish Times, 24 October 2010:

MINISTER FOR Finance Brian Lenihan has said the bank guarantee scheme was "a necessary first step" and "the cheapest bailout in the world so far".

Irish Independent, 4 April 2010:

Brian calls the bottom!

"One of the good things about the steep discount, averaging 47 per cent, is that the residential property market will now be stabilised at a realistic level."

You can now buy in confidence that the price is realistic."