Results 1,181-1,200 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: However, some of these towns have adopted the attitude that the problem does not exist or if it is ignored it will go away. The only way to tackle a problem is by providing services. Treatment is one of the main pillars of the strategy, which is focussed through the Department of Health and Children. There were indications that some new people in the Health Service Executive were trying to...

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 301 together. My Department was allocated €31.5 million to fund drugs initiatives in 2005, which represents an 18% increase on last year's budget. Through the funding available to me, the valuable work being done by local drugs task forces, LDTFs, and the young peoples facilities and services fund, YPFSF, will continue to be supported and developed....

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I did not catch the Deputy's first point. On the multi-annual funding, all the funding is rolled out in accordance with plans submitted and approved. That part is all right. When the projects are in place for a certain period of time, they are evaluated. The theory is that they are mainstreamed back into the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children and so on, and the funding...

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: If it was part of the organisation's plan and if it was a genuine cost, it would be allowed. An organisation would get a slight increase based on its staff projects.

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I think that is covered.

National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: There is a problem in the drugs area and there is a strategy in place to deal with it which is receiving considerable funding from Government. Over the past seven or eight years, approximately €200 million has been provided through the local drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund, not to mention all the money spent by the Garda and Customs and Excise on law...

Voluntarism Support. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 34 together. The progress on the new volunteering package, which I announced in March 2005, is as follows. Core funding will be provided to six volunteer bureaux, totalling €900,000 over the next three years. The Department has recently provided funding to the Ballyfermot volunteer bureau and, subject to completion of contracts, funding for 2005...

Voluntarism Support. (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I do not think so. The package announced was for €2 million per annum, which is all we can do at present. It includes the aspect on second level and third level. The young social innovators annual showcase awards were held in Dublin six weeks ago. About 2,000 students were at it and the project is done in transition year. That group existed before we got this funding, but the funding, at...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: Responsibility for the issuing of contracts of employment to community development project, CDP, staff is a matter for the management committee of each project. My Department has no legal responsibility for the employment of CDP staff. It should also be noted that two thirds of the funding provided to CDPs comes from sources other than my Department. CDPs have traditionally been funded on the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 37, 47 and 58 together. I do not accept the implications in the Deputies' questions about either a delay on my part in bringing forward draft legislation to regulate the charities sector or resultant difficulties for the sector. Far from there having been a delay, it is only following the establishment of my Department in June 2002, and the setting up of a...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 45 together. The proposed content of the future Charities Regulation Bill has already been the subject of an inclusive, public consultative process, undertaken in two stages over the period 2004-05. At end-2003, the Government approved the core legislative proposals for regulating the charities sector. Those proposals were set out in a consultation...

Written Answers — White Paper on Voluntary Activity: White Paper on Voluntary Activity (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: With regard to progress made to date on implementation of the White Paper, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 30 of 19 May 2005. As I stated in that reply, the White Paper remains Government policy. However, the White Paper is now five years old and the context in which White Paper policy is to be implemented has clearly changed with time. Against this background of change my...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: The report of the steering group on the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy was published in early June. The report was the culmination of the mid-term review, a comprehensive review process which was launched last year and included an extensive public consultation. The review was overseen by a steering group, chaired by my Department, and made up of the relevant Departments and...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: The European Council endorsed the EU Drug Strategy 2005-2012 in December of last year. This strategy sets out the framework, objectives and priorities for two consecutive action plans, the first of which is the EU Action Plan on Drugs 2005 to 2008. This action plan has not yet been adopted and is scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. The...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: 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 Ltd., ADM, to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf, which involves the allocation of €60 million from the dormant accounts...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I have comprehensively addressed the issues raised in the Deputy's question in this House on a number of occasions. In order to assist him, however, I will again explain my position. 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...

Written Answers — Offshore Islands: Offshore Islands (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 292 and 293 together. The position regarding funding for the Sherkin Island Development Society, SIDS, is as outlined to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 47 and 58 of 14 December 2004. Following the decision to discontinue funding to the SIDS, my Department made contact with the West Cork Arts Centre and made arrangements to financially...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: Decisions on the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts monies are currently a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. Disbursements from the fund are designed to assist three broad categories of persons, namely, those who are socially or economically disadvantaged, those who are educationally...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: There are no proposals currently with my Department regarding this estate. Meath County Council intends to appoint consultants to draw up preliminary proposals for the refurbishment of the estate and my Department will be consulted in due course on any proposals that may be developed.

Written Answers — Disabled Person's Grant Scheme: Disabled Person's Grant Scheme (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 485 and 486 together. A combined capital allocation of €73 million was made available to local authorities for the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes in 2004. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the disabled person's grant scheme from within this combined capital allocation. While two...