Results 601-620 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: We certainly have vision.
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: Of course one can buy a house for less than that amount.
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: It is zoned and ready for development.
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: Not "left", but available.
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: I was trying to be helpful.
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: I thank all the Members for their comments and general support for the Bill. We all share Senator Browne's views on affordability but "affordable" often means whether one thinks one house is affordable by comparison with another. Just because I bought a house 20 years ago does not mean I think it is affordable. To measure affordability one must look at some of the estates where these units...
- Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2004)
Noel Ahern: I thank Members for their co-operation. I accept that 48,000 people are on waiting lists. A major new assessment in this regard will be undertaken next spring and a major assessment of social housing needs takes place every three years. However, many of those on waiting lists are among the 60,000 families on rent allowance and, therefore, many of them are in suitable although not long-term...
- Community Workers' Co-operative. (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: Funding of anti-poverty networks arises from the White Paper on a framework for supporting voluntary activity and was originally administered by the Combat Poverty Agency on a three year contract basis. This function transferred to my Department from that agency late in 2003. My Department sought work plans for 2004 from each of the ten national anti-poverty networks funded under the White...
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 599 and 609 together. I refer the Deputies to my replies to previous questions on this matter, in particular my reply to Question No. 54 of 14 December 2004. As indicated in that reply, I am not contemplating the introduction of legislation on volunteering. However, I hope to be in a position over the coming period to announce a number of initiatives in support...
- Written Answers — Community Support Scheme: Community Support Scheme (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: The purpose of the scheme of community support for older people is to encourage and assist the community's support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. Funding under the scheme can be provided for small scale security equipment designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling; for security lighting and for the once-off...
- Written Answers — Community Support Scheme: Community Support Scheme (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: The scheme of community support for older people encourages and assists local support for older people by means of a community-based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. Funding under the scheme can be provided for small scale security equipment designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling; for security lighting and for the once-off cost of installing socially...
- Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: Decisions on the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts moneys are a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. The board engaged Area Development Management Limited to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf. To date the board has approved 420 projects for funding totalling approximately â¬42...
- Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: Decisions on the disbursement of dormant accounts funds are a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. The board has engaged Area Development Management Limited to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf which will involve the disbursement of up to â¬60 million from the fund to assist programmes...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: A request for funding from the organisation in question is being considered by my Department.
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1307 and 1387 together. The review of the disabled persons grant scheme, which was first signalled in March 2003, is currently being finalised in my Department. The cost of the works needed to adapt a dwelling to meet the needs of a disabled person can vary greatly, depending on the level of disability of the applicant and the location and type of dwelling to...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: The management, maintenance and improvement of their rented dwellings, including the installation of central heating is primarily the responsibility of local authorities to be financed from their own resources. My Department introduced a scheme in July 2004 for the installation of central heating in existing local authority rented dwellings. The scheme provided a contribution of â¬5,600 or...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: The administration of the various affordable housing schemes is a matter for each local authority in accordance with general terms and conditions set by my Department. It is a matter for local authorities to determine the priority accorded to persons, including lone parents, to whom affordable houses are allocated. They must examine each application for affordable housing on its merits having...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: Under the affordable housing scheme launched in March 1999, a mortgage subsidy is payable to qualifying households based on income bands. A similar subsidy applies under the shared ownership scheme towards the rent payments for that portion of the equity not yet purchased. The qualifying income limits and the amounts of the rent and mortgage subsidies under the shared ownership and affordable...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: This project was funded under the voluntary housing capital loan and subsidy scheme which supports the provision of housing accommodation by approved voluntary bodies. There is no provision in my Department's voluntary housing capital assistance and capital loan and subsidy schemes for the purchase of individual houses by tenants and there are no plans to introduce such a provision. A tenant...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Jan 2005)
Noel Ahern: Limerick County Council recently submitted an application to my Department for funding under the remedial works scheme for the refurbishment of the Sharwood and Castleview estates in Newcastle West. The proposals are currently under examination in my Department and a decision will be made on them as soon as possible.