Gordon Browne placing of new housing as a priority for his incoming government will be sweet music to many Irish developers and construction interests.

Proportionately, UK lags well behind Ireland in housing output - by the same token the massive expansion here has given some Irish firms an edge in expertise. Century Kingspan and others have already made inroads into local authority contracts in the UK for affordable housing, some of which can be erected in weeks rather than months. With the former chancellor now committed to loosening the purse strings, various concerns, here and in the UK, can expect a flood of orders over the coming months. CRH, Grafton and other builders' suppliers can expect a lift in their order books - and share prices - over the coming months. Irony of ironies, of course - affordable housing will be all the rage in Britain, with much of it supplied from the Republic, which still falters in reaching quotas of the same "affordable and social" housing.