Ahern denies FF panic led to stamp duty U-turn

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night insisted he had not been panicked into offering first time buyers a backdated “bribe” on stamp duty.

Launching his party’s election manifesto, Mr Ahern denied the move represented a U-turn as he attempted to seize the political initiative from opponents on the issue.

The move will see stamp duty abolished for all first-time buyers and will cover purchases since last Monday.