Results 1,921-1,940 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I have no plans at present to establish a community development unit for older people. Older people benefit under a number of my Department's programmes and schemes, including the local development social inclusion programme, the scheme of community supports for older people and the community development programme. This is in addition to the supports for older people provided by the...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: Decisions on the disbursements of funds from dormant accounts under the initial round of funding were a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. Under this round, the board approved 521 projects for funding totalling over €60 million. While to date approximately €13 million of this amount has been drawn down...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 80, 93, 109 and 111 together. While anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been a growth in the use of cocaine, we are not in a position to quantify the level of any increase. The 2002-03 national drug prevalence survey provides comprehensive baseline information on cocaine use in this country. This study, which surveyed 8,442 people aged 15-64 in...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 81 together. Representatives of the community sector remain fully engaged in all aspects of the national drugs strategy. This includes the continuation of their input to the work of the national drugs strategy team, NDST, in partnership with other members. The community sector representative on the NDST has recently resigned and I have asked the NDST to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department oversees the work of the 14 local drugs task forces, 12 of which are in Dublin with the others in Cork and Bray, which were established in the areas experiencing the highest levels of drugs misuse, as well as the ten regional drugs task forces in the areas not covered by local drugs task forces. Thus, all parts of the country are serviced by a drugs task force. Local drugs task...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: As I have indicated, my Department will review the experience of the package of volunteering measures that I initiated around this time last year as we develop a national policy on volunteering for the future. In this context, my Department will endeavor to take all relevant information into account.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The national advisory committee on drugs and the drug and alcohol information and research unit, Northern Ireland, commissioned the first drug prevalence survey, the purpose of which was to establish the population prevalence of drug use on the island of Ireland in 2002/03. This study surveyed over 8,000 people aged 15-64 in Ireland and Northern Ireland between October 2002 and April 2003 and...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am pleased with the increasing levels of funding being made available to tackle the problems of drugs misuse. An allocation of €43 million has been made to my Department's Vote for the drugs initiative-young people's facilities and services fund in 2006. This represents an increase of 37% on the original 2005 allocation and a massive 61% increase on the 2004 figure. It will allow us to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The officials of my Department and I are in ongoing contact with all those involved in disrupting the use of illegal drugs in this country. A comprehensive framework for a co-ordinated Government response to the issue of drug misuse is already in place. The national drugs strategy 2001-08 addresses the problem of drug misuse across a number of pillars — supply reduction, prevention,...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I have had no specific discussions with the Minister for Education and Science on drug use among undergraduate students in full-time third level education but I am in ongoing contact with all those involved in efforts to disrupt the distribution and consumption of illegal drugs throughout society, including the Minister for Education and Science. The primary focus of the 108 actions of the...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The emerging needs fund was devised to address an evolving situation in regard to the misuse of drugs on a flexible basis, in the light of new needs. To date I have allocated almost €850,000 under the emerging needs fund to 14 projects. In the light of the substantially increased level of funding allocated in the Revised Estimates figures for drugs initiatives under my Department, I will...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to Priority Question No. 61.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The bulk of the drugs funding available is channelled through the local and regional drugs task forces. I understand from the Dublin north east drugs task force, in whose area the project in question is situated, that it has not received a funding application from this group. However, the group is welcome to forward an application to the task force for assistance from the premises initiative...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532, 534 and 539 together. My Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The strategy contains 108 individual actions, under the five pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research, to be implemented by a range of Departments and agencies. My Department...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The national advisory committee on drugs and the drug and alcohol information and research unit, Northern Ireland, commissioned the first drug prevalence survey, the purpose of which was to establish the population prevalence of drug use on the island of Ireland, in 2002-03. This study surveyed more than 8,000 people aged between 15 and 64 in Ireland and Northern Ireland between October 2002...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: There are no proposals with my Department from Kildare County Council for the refurbishment of houses in the scheme in question.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: Information to end September 2005 on the number of housing units provided under the various affordable housing schemes 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. The annual housing statistics bulletins provide, among other things,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 842 and 844 together. As stated in the reply to Question No. 282 of 16 February, the Local Government Computer Services Board, LGCSB, has been commissioned to develop an integrated housing project on behalf of local authorities and my Department. A two-phase approach has been adopted for the implementation of the project. An interim package, Housing Operations...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The income eligibility and loan limits for the affordable housing schemes were reviewed and increased with effect from 1 January 2006. The income eligibility for a single income household was increased from €36,800 to €40,000 and from €90,000 to €100,000 for a two-income household. The maximum loan that can be advanced by local authorities for the acquisition or construction of a...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is not proposed to reintroduce a generally available house improvement grant scheme. However, there are a number of targeted options currently available to assist vulnerable groups such as lower-income households and elderly persons to secure necessary improvement works to their houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme, the disabled persons and essential...