'First-time buyers should not receive supports in budget'

The government's being urged NOT to introduce any new supports for first-time-buyers on budget day.

The latest property market report from Daft.ie shows prices rose by almost 4 per cent in the past year.

The biggest increases were seen outside of the main cities, with yearly rises of 4 per cent in Leinster, almost 6 per cent in Munster and just over 8 per cent in Connacht-Ulster.

In Dublin the increase was just over 1 per cent.

Economist and author of the Daft report - Ronan Lyons - says the market is stabilising, and any changes now could threaten that.