Results 1,021-1,040 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The commissioners of charitable donations and bequests for Ireland are appointed by the Government under the Charities Act 1961 with a mandate to provide services to trustees of charities and to carry out the intentions of persons making donations and bequests to charity. As the commissioners are independent in the exercise of their statutory duties, I do not comment on specific cases....
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (17 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The purpose of this requirement, contained in the operating rules for Leader + and the area based rural development initiative is to indemnify the Minister and the Department against any claims or losses arising from a project. It is considered prudent that this requirement remains in place in order to protect public funds. However, I will keep this matter under review.
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 166 of 14 April 2005. The position is unchanged.
- Property Management. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: Apartment complex management companies are generally constituted as companies under the Companies Acts and are required to comply with the provisions of company law, which is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The operation of such companies under their relevant memorandum and articles of association, including the employment of any property manager or management...
- Property Management. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: We should differentiate between management companies, which are companies set up by different owners in apartments, and the management agency that is brought in by a management company to do basic work around the complex. Sometimes there are problems when a development is under construction and there is a delay in finalising work. The developer may bring in a management agency to look after...
- Property Management. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: We must see what the working group recommends as much of it may concern other Departments. While the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will be involved, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform will be involved from a conveyancing viewpoint. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will be involved from a management company view. We will see what...
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Government has responded actively to increased levels of housing need by significantly expanding social and affordable housing output. In 2005, the Government allocated record levels of funding to local authorities for their social and affordable housing programmes. Total capital spending on social and affordable housing output in 2005, including non-Exchequer finance, will amount to some...
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Deputy's last comment answered his earlier question. In order to have action, there must be plans. Houses cannot be built from thin air and local authorities need certainty in what they are doing over the next several years.
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Government has asked local authorities to draw up action plans to bring certainty to the area. The action plans are based on local needs. There is certainty in the funding which is now being provided. With five year capital envelopes, we can tell them how much their funding will be. Last week, â¬922 million was allocated for social housing in 2005. The local authorities have been told to...
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: We are ahead of our commitment in the national development plan. Expenditure stands 7% ahead of the commitment, with an allocation of â¬2 billion for this year. The number of units estimated to be built has not been fully reached, but on money invested, we are 7% ahead.
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Department simply provides the resources to the local authority. The local authority then constructs the units. When a local authority puts this out to tender, all private developers may apply. I accept that some developers have tendered solely for public jobs. Most local authorities, including Galway City Council, would welcome if those developers traditionally in the private market...
- Local Authority Housing. (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: That is not so.
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 167 together. Information on the number of housing units provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2004 in each local authority area is published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and also on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. Part V of the Planning and...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95, 111, 139, 161 and 297 together. The results of the statutory assessment of local authority housing need, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing. The latest triennial statutory assessment of need took place in March 2005 and I anticipate publishing the results in September...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I am not aware of any formal proposal from the Committee of Public Accounts on the lines indicated in the question. However, the National Economic and Social Council in its report Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy has recommended the amalgamation of the shared ownership and affordable housing schemes into a single first home scheme. My Department is addressing the issues raised in...
- Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 103, 129 and 189 together. The Government is giving detailed consideration to the findings of Report No. 112 of the National Economic and Social Council, Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy as well as the Ninth Progress Report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, concerning private property and a report by Goodbody Economic...
- Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 188 together. The total number of persons currently working in the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, is 33. Some 19 staff are provided to the PRTB by the Department and part of the work of the PRTB is contracted to a data entry company, which has assigned 14 staff to such tasks. The budget estimate for the board in 2005 is â¬4.210 million....
- Written Answers — Local Authority Lands: Local Authority Lands (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 293 to 296, inclusive, together. My Department does not have details of the extent of all lands owned by the State or local authorities. The figure of 12,500 hectares, referred to in the question, is the amount of serviced residential land as at 30 June 2004, owned privately and publicly, which would give an estimated yield of 367,000 housing units....
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 150 together. An indicative survey of local authorities carried out by my Department prior to the introduction last year of a scheme for the installation of central heating in existing local authority rented dwellings estimated the number of such dwellings lacking central heating facilities to be in the region of 45,000. The current figure is likely to...
- Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (18 May 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Department does not have a definitive breakdown of house completions either by type of purchaser or whether they were second or holiday homes or intended for renting. However, with the unprecedented demand for housing, fuelled mainly by rapid economic growth and demographic changes, being the major driver of house price increases in recent years, it is clear that there has been...