Everyone has been dodging the issue of mixing social housing with new homes now that the Government plans to grab 20 per cent of all sites at a knockdown price to build affordable housing. Because of the traditional close relationship between the building industry and Fianna Fail, the builders are clearly expecting Noel Dempsey to modify his stance to allow a way out, particularly on the number of social houses to be located on development sites.

The property industry, which doesn't want to be seen to be against integrated housing, finally broke its silence this week when Alan Cooke of the Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute launched a bitter attack on the Government policy. Mr Cooke warns that the Government's intervention will be a watershed for housing in Ireland. "In future, people will speak of pre and post 1999 developments . . . whether they live in mixed developments or are among the lucky few residing in segregated private schemes. Of course, we don't approve of such snobbish attitudes - publicly. Privately, however, most of us will continue to do what we have always done - pay considerably more to be among the latter group," he says.

This is strong stuff from Mr Cooke but he goes even further to acknowledge that builders will find it hard to sell such houses in mixed developments and that the resale value of private homes in these areas will take a hammering.

The builders themselves, who are likely to suffer most, have been keeping their powder dry in the hope that if the legislation is passed by the Oireachtas, it will be referred to the Supreme Court by the President. They are also likely to propose modifications which would lessen the impact, particularly on expensive sites in the inner suburbs. Now that Alan Cooke has come out and said what a lot of builders are thinking, the Irish Home Builders Association might show where it stands on what is likely to be a very controversial issue.