Results 681-700 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The last assessment showed that 48,000 families were on the social housing list. Some public private partnership projects are in operation. Fatima Mansions is being redeveloped as part of a PPP arrangement under the regeneration scheme. The same applies to O'Devaney Gardens. We are encouraging and are interested in PPP projects. Other innovative and interesting suggestions are being made...
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: I am not sure which proposal the Deputy is talking about.
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: There are different proposals and these are being examined. It is not a case of our running with every one that is made.
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: Some have merit and others have not. Fundamentally, we are not just considering different proposals but trying all the time to increase our resources. A sum of â¬1.3 billion has been allocated this year for Exchequer-funded housing. We are considering other proposals but we must ascertain whether they represent good long-term value. They can sometimes look very attractive and innovative but...
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The main three are those mentioned by the Deputy. The NESC report is not really a report. I am not quite sure what proposalââ
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: That is more or less an historical report. It is mainly meant to target practitioners and researchers although it contains some ideas. The housing sector is one of the largest sectors in the economy. There will never be a day on which all reports and policies are decided upon.
- Housing Policy. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: Policy changes are important and some key changes may be made shortly. That said, one must ascertain the most effective way to spend the â¬1.3 billion in Exchequer funding. When combined with the non-Exchequer funding, the total amounts to almost â¬2 billion. Policy changes are fine and take up some time and energy, but one must also focus on whether housing is being delivered and resources...
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The rate of house price increase has generally declined in recent quarters and is now considerably lower than in the late 1990s.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The rate of house price increase has generally declined in recent quarters and is now considerably lower than in the late 1990s. The figures for the third quarter of 2004 show this trend continuing with rates of increase well below those in 2003. The latest increases for new houses nationally are 10.6% and in Dublin, 9.9%; for second-hand houses nationally, 10%, and in Dublin, 9.1%. While my...
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: I did not say that.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The average price of a new house in Dublin is â¬324,000 but that is the average price of all new houses. If one analyses the starter home end of the market, plenty of houses are available in Dublin, certainly on the north side with which I am familiar, in the â¬230,000 to â¬270,000 bracket. Affordable houses are being promoted under the various schemes, the details of which I will not go...
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: I was not pretending anything. I simply stated that the rate of house price increase was at 10.6% for new houses and 10% for second-hand houses, whereas sadly, a couple of years ago house price increases were running at more than 30%.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: VAT on new houses is 13.5%. I accept there was a 1% increase in recent years, increasing the price by â¬2,000 on a â¬200,000 house. I also accept the first-time buyer's grant of some â¬3,800 was abolished. However, I cannot understand why people are upset and keep focussing on relatively small matters like this.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The stamp duty reduction gave many people a reduction of more than â¬11,500, which puts the 1% VAT increase into perspective. The 1% increase was buttons compared to the stamp duty reduction.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: The first-time buyers are back in the second-hand house market in a huge way and are moving back into areas to which Deputy Gilmore referred, where there were elderly populations. If the type of people who bought new houses are now buying second-hand houses, this should relax the pressure on the new house market. Let us concentrate on the big picture which is that many people have saved...
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: It is right and proper that landowners who make a fortune should make a contribution to the services necessary for the houses that will be built.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: Deputy Morgan referred to auctioneers. We saw one of them on television on the night of the budget saying that it is their job to increase the price as best they can. One must understand where these people are coming from. I met the gentleman afterwards and he said that the programme was edited badly and that he was embarrassed by what was shown.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: He was honest about his job which is to maximise the price he gets for the seller. Once we understand that, we can be selective in listening to people. First-time buyers of a second-hand house will be â¬12,000 better off in bidding for the house than they were before the budget.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: Deputy Cuffe is correct. The amount of social housing being built in percentage terms vis-Ã-vis overall house production has not kept pace.
- House Prices. (9 Feb 2005)
Noel Ahern: At one time, we built approximately 6,000 or 7,000 local authority houses when the total house production was 25,000.