Updated 08.30

House prices increased by 8.5% last year.

The national average asking price in the final quarter of 2015 was €204,000, compared to €188,000 a year ago, according to a survey from property website DAFT.ie.

In Dublin prices rose by just under 3% however, outside the capital they went up by over 13%.

Author of the Daft Report, Ronan Lyons, says the Central Bank rules have impacted more in Dublin:

"We've got a growing population, but a pretty fixed housing stock - not enough is getting built, so that suggests that across the country any pressure is going to be upward. And probably more upward pressure outside Dublin where those Central Bank rules have really had the biggest effect."

The total stock of properties for sale is now at its lowest point in nearly nine years, with just over 25,000 properties for sale nationwide.

A year ago, there were nearly 30,000 properties on the market.

Mr Lyons spoke to Newstalk Breakfast earlier: