Results 2,521-2,540 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Social and Affordable Housing. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: ——I can do so and the figures will look much more impressive. Part V is and will be a very good source of affordable houses in the future as the old planning permissions die out.

House Prices. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Increasing house prices and mortgage interest rates mean that a greater proportion of disposable income is now needed to meet mortgage payments. Despite this affordability both nationally and in Dublin remains within the affordability limits now typically applied by lending institutions in deciding mortgage applications. My Department's affordability index reflects the position at the end of...

House Prices. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Many studies have been carried out by different financial institutions. However, first-time buyers are key buyers in the market. As I said, 45% of mortgages for new homes taken out last year were by first-time buyers, which shows they are buying. Different people can play around with figures. The survey by Halifax mentioned by the Deputy was very selective in its prices. It used the...

House Prices. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The affordability index is more important. While that has also increased it is still not as bad as it was for a period in the early 1990s. Affordability comprises the price of the house, the tax rate, the interest rate and the average take-home pay. While affordability has worsened, many people have got over it. While, sadly, I might give out about it, many affordability indexes are based...

House Prices. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The stamp duty rates are set by the Department of Finance and there is no point in us going into that. Generally speaking first-time buyers are more inclined to buy new homes than to buy second-hand ones. When we reduced the rates two years ago it shifted the balance and brought a far greater number of first-time buyers into the second-hand market.

House Prices. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is nothing wrong with that. Generally first-time buyers buy new houses rather than second-hand houses. The Deputy mentioned the census figures. There are four local authorities in County Dublin. Dublin city is almost fully built up. Naturally the population of the city will not increase in the same way as Kildare, Meath or north County Dublin. It goes back to the point Deputy...

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Priorities for investment in housing under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 will take account of a number of factors, including the key policy challenges highlighted by the NESC report, the results of the 2005 housing needs assessment and the policy framework set out in the document, Housing Policy Framework — Building Sustainable Communities, which was launched in December 2005....

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: I do not know what the Deputy means when he accuses us of demolishing homes without replacing them.

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: We are spending huge money on social housing. The overall housing budget this year is €2 billion and, of that, €1.4 billion is being spent on social housing. There is huge investment.

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The output last year of local authority housing was the highest for approximately 20 years. The waiting list did come down. I know how many are on it, although it is important to note that over 40% of what are called families on the social housing waiting list are single people. Huge amounts of money are being spent on new building, remedial works and regeneration schemes. With regard to...

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: ——rather than having huge estates for one class of society. There are no plans to change Part V. It is delivering.

Housing Policy. (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is also the affordable homes partnership. In the Deputy's constituency, it has delivered a couple of hundred homes through land swaps. We announced another such swap a few days ago under which we will get more than 200 houses, many of them in west and south-west Dublin, at good prices of €180,000 to €220,000. We are providing many affordable homes; 500 such homes have been...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is intended to commence an audit of the social housing stock next year, including an assessment of energy efficient measures. The outcome of this audit will determine future direction in this area. My Department has recently requested local authorities to assess their housing stock to determine the number of local authority dwellings without central heating facilities.

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 145, 185, 207 and 210 together. Despite a significant expansion in the availability of good quality rental accommodation in recent years, there is still a proportion of sub-standard units as well as some which are seriously deficient. The new Partnership agreement, Towards 2016, includes a commitment that the minimum standards regulations for the private...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Recent information provided by the Department of Social and Family Affairs indicates that there are some 60,000 households currently in receipt of rent supplement. Over half of those, about 32,000, have been on rent supplement for 18 months or more. This cohort is provisionally assessed as in need of long-term housing. According to the results of the March 2005 Statutory Assessment of...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2002 was introduced following a review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to ensure that it was meeting its objectives in relation to the provision of social and affordable housing. Complaints had been received that the provisions of Part V were inflexible and overly bureaucratic and that they were not achieving the desired results...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: In December 2005, the Government launched a new Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities which outlines key principles underpinning housing policy and investment over the coming years. Substantial increased investment in social and affordable housing is outlined in the framework amounting to close to €4 billion in Exchequer capital spending over the period 2006 to 2008....

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137, 180, 201 and 218 together. Increasing house prices and mortgage interest rates mean that a greater proportion of disposable income is now needed to meet mortgage payments. Despite this, affordability both nationally and in Dublin remains within the affordability limits now typically applied by lending institutions in deciding mortgage applications. Over...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 is a key measure in providing social and affordable housing. While Part V has been operational in all planning authorities for some years now, it is only in the last year or so that output has begun to gather momentum as evidenced by the statistics. Whilst its implementation is a matter for individual authorities, it is closely monitored...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: Local authority housing construction and improvement works programmes, including planned maintenance and remedial works, are discussed with each local authority as part of the preparation and review of their Housing Action Plans. Arising out of this authorities may seek Exchequer support for improvement works under a number of schemes. Local authorities may also apply, on approval by the...