Results 2,681-2,700 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The most recent assessment of need for social housing, undertaken by local authorities in March 2005, indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority waiting lists compared with 48,413 in March 2002. More detailed results, including a breakdown of this figure by local authority, are available in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin for 2005, which is available on...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (26 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 148 together. A substantial number of applications has been received by my Department over the last few weeks under the 2006 Programme of Grants for Locally-Based Community and Voluntary Organisations. They are being assessed. Decisions in respect of all applications will be made by me following this assessment process. It is not possible at this...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (26 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is a matter for planning authorities and developers to negotiate Part V agreements as an integral part of the planning process for residential developments. In making agreement with developers, authorities must have regard to the social and affordable housing needs identified in their housing strategy. The intention of the Part V legislation is to provide for a two-way process involving...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (26 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 require planning authorities, in developing their housing strategies, to ensure that policies and objectives are in place, which will counteract undue social segregation in housing developments. The manner in which local authorities avail of Part V arrangements for the provision of social and affordable housing is determined by them based on the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is no provision at present in the voluntary housing schemes for the purchase of individual houses by tenants. However, it was agreed under Housing Policy Framework — Building Sustainable Communities that consideration would be given in consultation with the voluntary and co-operative sector, to pilot a tenant purchase scheme for some new voluntary homes under the scheme. The timing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Oct 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department sanctioned the provision of funding to Athy Town Council in March of this year for refurbishment works to houses at Carbery Park / Townspark in Athy under the Remedial Works Scheme. A meeting was provisionally arranged for 11 October 2006 but had to be postponed due to unavailability of staff. My Department has been in contact with Athy Town Council seeking a new date for a...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: I oppose the Bill but wish to clarify the Government's position regarding the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act introduced in 2002 and particularly how it impacted on the provision of social and affordable housing. There has been much misinterpretation of Part V since its introduction. I have arranged for my Department to prepare a short Part V fact sheet which is available in the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: The developers may make suggestions but it is the local authorities that decide.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: Most of us have been members of local authorities in the not too distant past. If Members of this House feel councillors are not acting on Members' behalf, they can communicate this to them. Measures to address the housing needs of all sectors of the existing and future population in the area including first-time buyers, the elderly, people with disabilities, students etc. are also in the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: One would think it was a Sinn Féin idea originally. It was very much the idea of this Government.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: Part V is about providing social and affordable housing and is an important mechanism in our approach to meeting the ever-increasing demands for such housing. The question for Government is how best to maximise the delivery of such output. Part V was difficult to implement in the early stages.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: It soon became apparent to all that it was not realising its potential. Something had to be done to ensure greater output. Like all new schemes it was slow to get going, but this did not distract from what was obvious to the various stakeholders, namely, that the Part V provisions were inflexible and overly bureaucratic and were not achieving the desired results of improving the supply of...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: There were clear advantages in accepting off-site provision, in cases where one or two social or affordable units would be provided in a very expensive area of a city as opposed to multiple units elsewhere. This was just one of the impediments to achieving maximum output and it could not be ignored. A Government committed to enabling home ownership for as many people as possible could not...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: ——including local authorities and representatives of the house building industry, professional institutes and voluntary housing providers.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: No one could argue that this group did not represent a broad range of relevant interested parties from whom balanced and practical recommendations for improvement could be expected. The review concluded that greater flexibility in the operation of Part V was required. Measures to achieve this were contained in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2002 that Deputy Crowe is now...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: It has to come in first.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: It will come in. It is all ring-fenced for housing, be it affordable or social and will all be used. It is totally protected.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: In all cases, where an option is utilised to secure a Part V agreement, the principle of equivalent monetary value must be achieved. The changes, or rather, improvements, introduced following the review of Part V were designed to ensure that more housing is provided under Part V arrangements where it is needed, while at all times ensuring the objective of preventing undue social segregation....

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: ——such as those about which we have recently heard in Limerick, where there are between 700 and 1,000 houses. We are spending a couple of hundred million euro a year on regeneration and remedial works trying to put right the problems and mistakes we made 30 years ago.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (1 Nov 2006)

Noel Ahern: Part V is the answer. We no longer build massive estates of 800 houses.