Ahern defends abolition of first-time buyers' grant

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has vowed to press ahead with plans to abolish the first-time buyers' grant, saying the scheme is no longer economically viable.

Mr Ahern said the grant was introduced 25 years ago to encourage the building of new homes, but a new series of incentives are now in place to promote house building and ownership, thereby eliminating the need for the first-time buyers' grant.