IRISH pharmaceutical company Amarin is to buy an Israeli firm in a deal worth up to $32 million (€21.7m).

The Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute has warmly welcomed the Government’s decision to eliminate the Stamp Duty paid by first time buyers through the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2007.

Almost one fifth of first-time home-buyers in Ireland are non-nationals, according to research conducted by the Irish Mortgage Corporation.

LIKE much media coverage regarding the auctioneering profession, your lead story (Irish Examiner, June 10) was inaccurate in that it referred to regulations being published to protect house-hunters from “tricks of the trade, including gazumping — where auctioneers pull out of a deal after receiving a higher bid”.

A property survey from the Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute (IAVI) shows that price increases in many sectors of the housing market were higher than expected in 2005.

PROPERTY investors got a soft landing yesterday with a three-year phased removal of tax reliefs, instead of them being axed next July as previously expected.

The Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute has predicted that house prices in Ireland will continue to increase at levels well above the rate of inflation this year.

HOUSE price inflation will be higher than expected this year with revised housing inflation forecast at 7%.

AUCTIONEERS were accused yesterday of mistreating vulnerable housebuyers by enticing them into showrooms with unrealistically low guide prices.

CONFIRMATION was still awaited last night as to whether the Revenue Commissioners acted within their powers when they ‘blitzed’ estate agents’ offices and took away lists of clients who had purchased properties overseas.

THE decentralisation of eight Government departments will alleviate pressure on the Dublin housing market and spark economic growth throughout the country, it was claimed last night.

LEVIES on property development have been proposed by two of the country’s stronger property representative bodies, the Society of Chartered Surveyors and the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute.

THE price of houses is set to rise by 6% this year, according to a report by estate agents.