Results 1,221-1,240 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Construction Industry Federation made a submission in April 2004 to the Department of the Taoiseach proposing a number of additional measures to accelerate delivery of affordable units under the affordable housing initiative, AHI. In response, the Taoiseach announced to the parties to Sustaining Progress in July 2004 that alternative strategies for fast-tracking delivery would be pursued,...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: The land swap programme is designed to accelerate delivery of affordable housing units under the affordable housing initiative. The model to be used will be similar to that piloted on the Harcourt Terrace Lane site. The exchange of a 0.4-acre site is now set to deliver some 193 affordable houses in private housing estates, 140 of which will be available in 2005 with the balance in 2006....

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: Details on the number of houses completed under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins. Information is already available up to the quarter ending September 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Information will shortly be available up to end 2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (30 Jun 2005)

Noel Ahern: It is a statutory function of the Private Residential Tenancies Board to review the operation of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and any related enactments, and make recommendations to the Minister for amendments, as appropriate. I will consider any such recommendations following an adequate period of experience of the operation of the legislation. However, as I indicated in my reply to...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts: Dormant Accounts (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that decisions on the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts moneys under the initial round of funding were a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board. My reply to Question No. 440 of 30 June 2005 refers. The board is an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. The board engaged Area Development Management Limited, ADM, to...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 837 to 839, inclusive, together. An application has been received by my Department from the groups in question under the 2005 programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations. The process of assessment of the large number of applications received under the programme is ongoing and I expect to be deciding on qualifying applications...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1326 and 1389 together. Tenant purchase schemes have been an important feature of housing policy for many years and have made a significant contribution to improving the social mix within housing estates as well as meeting the aspirations of many tenants to own their own homes. The sale of local authority flats, however, raises difficult legal, contractual and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: Total Exchequer spending on housing programmes amounted to just over €1 billion or 0.7% of GDP in 2004. The Exchequer provision was increased to €1.3 billion in 2005, and when non-voted expenditure is taken into account the gross spending on housing programmes is expected to reach some €2 billion or 1.3% of GDP. Other areas of public investment such as servicing of land, provision of...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The allocation to the Health Service Executive southern area for housing aid for the elderly scheme for the last five years is set out in the following table. Year Allocation â'¬ 2005 2,200,000 2004 1,620,000 2003 1,055,000 2002 1,349,579 2001 1,269,738 It is a matter for the Health Service Executive southern area to apportion funding to each community care area.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: Kerry County Council was notified of a combined capital allocation of €1.76 million for the payment of disabled person's and essential repairs grants for 2005. Allocations to Kerry County Council over the previous three years are contained in the following table. Year Allocation â'¬ 2004 1,760,000 2003 1,378,000 2002 1,300,000 The 2002 allocation represented a combined...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: Additional information and documentation has been requested and is still awaited by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on applications for the first-time buyer's grant, as set out in the following tabular statement: County Total Carlow 1 Cavan 7 Clare 7 Cork 88 Donegal 21 Dublin 98 Galway 37 Kerry 10 Kildare 37 Kilkenny 6 Laois...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: Available information to the end of June 2005 is published in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and is also available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: Information up to June quarter 2005 on Part V affordable housing completions is published in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Data relevant to the question is also available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. The information sought regarding the price of Part V...

Written Answers — Land Zoning: Land Zoning (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government carries out a survey of the total amount of serviced land zoned for residential purposes. This survey is valuable in assessing the overall stock of land at the same point each year, and the sufficiency of that stock to underpin required housing supply. Details on the amount of undeveloped land zoned for housing in the State and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The management and control of local authority dwellings is vested in and exercised by the housing authority concerned subject to compliance with regulations and statutory provisions. Regulations made in 1980 provide that the tenancy of every letting by a housing authority shall be a weekly tenancy. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 requires that a notice to quit must not be less...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1348 and 1354 together. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government recently approved the invitation of tenders for this project, which will be carried out under the capital funding schemes for voluntary and co-operative housing projects. Kilkenny County Council, which is responsible for the detailed administration of the scheme in their...

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: With effect from December 2001, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government recoups to local authorities two thirds of their expenditure on disabled persons grants to a maximum of €13,547 in each individual case. The local authority pays the remaining one third, thereby giving an effective maximum grant under the scheme of €20,320. The grant can cover up to 90% of the...

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1363 and 1364 together. Details in relation to the percentage increase in both new and second-hand houses prices from June 1997 to date are set out 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.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The data on the number of local authority houses let are collated at the end of each calendar year, with most recent figures available 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. On this basis, at end December 2001 there were 102,789 local authority houses let and a further...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (28 Sep 2005)

Noel Ahern: The OPW has compiled an electronic database of property holdings based on information supplied by Departments and agencies. Consistent with the commitment in the joint programme, the database has assisted in developing the affordable housing initiative, although further investigations were required to determine whether lands were suitable for housing. The affordable housing initiative was...