Results 941-960 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Voluntary Activity: Voluntary Activity (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 53 together. The questions raised relate to recommendations contained in the recent Joint Oireachtas Committee Report on Volunteers and Volunteering in Ireland. Deputies will be aware from my reply to Questions Nos. 305 and 308 of 8 March 2005 that I have introduced a package of measures to provide immediate support for volunteering, including measures...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: As I have informed the House on a number of occasions, reform of the law relating to charities will be brought forward in accordance with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government. Given that the charities sector has never been regulated in this country since the foundation of the State, moves towards regulation of the sector have only recently begun to be taken following the...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (14 Apr 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: window locks, door locks and door chains designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling; security lighting; smoke alarms; and for the once-off cost...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 114 and 115 together. As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 274 on 22 February, decisions on the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts moneys are currently 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, ADM, to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the national drugs strategy for 2001 to 2008. It also has responsibility for the work of the local and regional drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund, YPFSF. Some €95 million has been allocated or spent to implement a broad range of projects contained in...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: An agreement under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 may provide for, inter alia, the developer building and transferring completed affordable units to the planning authority. The number and description of the units will be specified in the agreement and will be transferred at a price determined on the basis of the site cost of the units, calculated at existing use...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 165 together. The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions subject to the following broad principles laid down by my Department: the rent payable should be related to income and a smaller proportion of income should be required from low income households;...

Written Answers — Disabled Drivers: Disabled Drivers (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The review of the disabled persons grant scheme, which was first signalled in March 2003, is currently being finalised in my Department. On its completion, it will be possible to determine the changes, if any, required to the regulations governing the scheme to ensure that the funding available is directed at those persons in greatest need of such assistance. While the administration of the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I assume that the question refers to the progress of the housing scheme proposed for the site at Darrara Agricultural College in Clonakilty that was released to the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative by the Department of Agriculture and Food. Given the size of the site, which is approximately 15 hectares, and the scale and impact of any proposed development, Cork County...

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: acknowledges the achievements of the Government in, —increasing housing supply as the key response to the broad range of housing needs and demands; —ensuring that over 500,000 houses, equivalent to one third of Ireland's total housing stock, have been completed in the past ten years;...

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: They were not living in the country because they had to emigrate.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I understand the point the Deputy is making. I know some people who would like to buy their own homes are still living at home, and I might be facing that myself, but the key issue is that 20 years ago they were not at home. They were not in the country as they had to emigrate.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Let us talk facts and be sensible about the issue. Hard effort over a number of years involving a range of different measures has turned the tide back on scarce housing supply and unacceptable house inflation. We are now seeing greater moderation as housing supply responds to demand. The figures published today are heartening and the general view of people who make these forecasts is that...

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I know that. That makes it worse because unless the houses in Dundrum, County Tipperary have got very dear all of a sudden, a house on sale for €325,000 or whatever must be much more than a starter home. While I know the average prices, it is a fact that many houses in the Dublin area are still coming out at well under €200,000——

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: They are in the local authority areas around Dublin.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: They may not be in the Deputy's patch because they build very little in his local authority.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I opened a scheme in Balbriggan in October where the two-bedroom houses were €140,000 and the three-bedroom——

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: ——houses were €160,000.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Affordable houses.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: In my constituency in Finglas, we have had different schemes where houses were €175,000 and €195,000. There have been different affordable schemes under the 1999 scheme in all these areas, even in Dublin, and it is important to say that. Each year over 2,000 of these houses are being provided and they are being bought. It would be great to have more but they are being provided and they...