Property prices around the country rose 7.8% in the year to the end of March.

The Central Statistics Office says that is a slow down in the rate of increase, which stood at 8.1% at the end of February.

Residential property prices overall actually fell 0.7% in the month of March.

One of the big changes was recorded in Dublin apartment prices, which were over 16.5% higher in March than in the same month of 2013.

Property prices are up 14% in Dublin.