Results 1,561-1,580 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

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

Noel Ahern: The information requested is set out in the following table. Houses Land transferred Sites Payments in lieu of land/houses Withering levy Year Number Nos. Quantity No. of units â'¬ â'¬ 2002 46 — — — — — 2003 163 2 1.24 ha. 50 829,565 236,316 2004 591 10 7.347 ha. 106 7,364,248 2,382,487 Sept. 2005 Provisional 830 16...

Written Answers — Derelict Sites: Derelict Sites (29 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The information sought is not held in my Department. However, the derelict sites registers maintained by local authorities under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 would contain details of derelict sites in each local authority area. In the context of initiating a more active approach to land management by local authorities, they will be urged to consider the extent to which brownfield land,...

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

Noel Ahern: It is open to local authorities to provide housing sites at reasonable cost to assist persons in housing need to provide their own housing. Because of the land requirements for a significantly increased number of projects involving the provision of social and affordable housing directly by local authorities at present some authorities have a very limited capacity to provide housing sites at...

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (29 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1421 of 28 September 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Substantial progress continues to be made under the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative with provisional figures to the end of September 2005 indicating over 1,000 housing units provided to date on AHI sites and through Part V affordable schemes. The number of housing units provided on a county basis throughout the country is set out in the following table. County Housing...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy's numbers are wrong.

Dormant Accounts Fund. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Adjusted for liabilities of €48 million, the current value of the dormant accounts fund is €157 million. Such liabilities arise in respect of funding approved for projects by the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board which has yet to be drawn down. It is anticipated that a large element of this amount will be disbursed during 2006. With regard to further allocations, the Deputy will...

Dormant Accounts Fund. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: No, what I stated earlier was that, of the allocations made to date by the board, €48 million has not yet been drawn down. A sum of €8 million is the only amount that has been drawn down. As Deputy O'Shea will be aware, ADM Limited administers all this for the disbursements board. Of the €63 million that was allocated, to date €8 million has been drawn down. It is a case of working...

Dormant Accounts Fund. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: As I stated, the social and economic disadvantage committee is one of the three committees — there are three interdepartmental committees.

Dormant Accounts Fund. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: That report has gone to Cabinet. We are working on the details of the operational procedures of how we will roll that out. We only got approval from the Cabinet yesterday and it will be rolled out quickly. Deputy O'Shea will see all that in January or February next. It will not necessarily be one large catch-all advertisement in the newspaper. We will bring forward a number of proposals. We...

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 61 together. The Government has allocated in excess of €95 million to support more than 450 projects contained in the plans of the task forces since 1997. In addition to the moneys available under the action plans in this way, the premises initiative is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects, the majority of which...

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I have often repeated that the Government's priority is to tackle the drugs problem and support local drugs task forces but people seem to want me to repeat it hour after hour. The Government commitment is there——

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Maybe the Deputy adds noughts on to every figure he considers.

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: This year, although inflation is under 3%, there was an 18% increase in funding. I doubt any other budget heading got such an increase. The Estimates two weeks ago contained an 8% increase. That does not include the forthcoming budget and the Revised Estimates in January. It was brought to my attention last year that, as the drugs situation evolves, additional funding would be needed to deal...

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: We are discussing key emerging needs.

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: That is additional to what is there at present. The proposals are being examined. I have only received some of them so far and many more are due to arrive. They will be examined and assessed in conjunction with the funds and the other demands on the budget available.

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Nobody is ignoring the scale of the problem.

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The funding that comes through the local drugs task force and the Department is to deal with gaps in existing services. Services are provided across a range of Departments. A sum of approximately €50 million is spent on projects that started at local drugs task force level. In fact, the scale of Government investment is such that I do not believe people who are actively involved ever dreamt...

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: People must realise that if I say €5 million or €10 million, I mean €5 million or €10 million. Certainly, in the next year if there are good proposals, we will try to fund more. We are carrying out significant work, with almost €50 million of projects initiated at local drugs task force level, taking in almost 600 people. However, all that can be thought about is bringing in even...

National Drugs Strategy. (30 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The funding approved for this year, 2005, was an 18% increase, which was enormous. The amount contained in the Estimates was an 8% increase, and we must wait for the Revised Estimates in January. The regional drugs task forces are up and running, and their funding has been approved, some before the summer and some in September. They have drawn down only a small portion allocated to them for...