Watchdog: Building surge could spark overheating

Irish Fiscal Advisory Council backs Budget 2018 stance, but calls for further measures to end boom-bust cycle

'Necessary' building surge must be balanced, warns watchdog. Pic: RollingNews.ie

The state’s budgetary watchdog has warned about the risk of the economy’s overheating in the coming years if construction activity ramps up rapidly in response to the shortage of supply in the housing market.

The warning came in the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’sassessment of Budget 2018, which it described overall as “conducive to prudent economic and budgetary management”.

The council said overheating could occur if a surge in construction - which it acknowledged ...