With 41 quangos about to be disappear under the Government's cutbacks, it will be fascinating to see where the knife falls in the coming weeks.

The little heard of National Property Services Regulatory Authoritywith grand offices overlooking the Boyne valley in Navan should keep its head down even more now that the property market is stalled and there are no great issues, like guide prices and gazumping, to concern anyone. Even the IAVIis concerned about the survival of the new authority and shortly after the Budget it issued a statement expressing the hope that "the fledgling" agency "will not be amongst the 41 State agencies to be discontinued". The pleading is not likely to turn the Government, which is desperate to save shekels. At the very least the exchequer will be reluctant to pour money into an organisation which still has no mandate, because of the delay in introducing the appropriate legislation. Could someone explain again what gazumping was all about?