Property prices in Ireland are conitnuing their upward trend. In the year to April, national residential property prices rose by 8.5%.

This compares with an increase of 7.8% in March and a decrease of 1.2% seen in the 12 months to April 2013.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) says residential property prices rose by 1.4% in the month of April, and this compares with a decrease of 0.7% recorded in March and an increase of 0.8% recorded in April of last year.

In Dublin, property prices grew by 3.1% in April and were 17.7% higher than a year ago.

Dublin house prices rose by 3.1% in the month and were 17.8% higher compared to a year earlier. While apartment prices in the capital were 17.5% higher when compared with the same month of 2013.

The price of residential properties in the rest of Ireland dropped by 0.3% in April compared with a increase of 1.2% in April of last year. Overall prices were 1.3% higher than in April 2013.

Residential property prices in Dublin are 48.5% lower than their highest level in early 2007, while national prices outside the capital are 47.4% lower than their highest level in September 2007.