Results 2,561-2,580 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 66, 75 and 99 of 21 March 2006. The position is that Government approval of the General Scheme for the Charities Regulation Bill 2006 has been secured and the Scheme has been published on my Department's website www.pobail.ie; priority drafting of the Bill is under way in the Office of the Attorney General; I would hope that this should...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: My Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. This incorporates the work of the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces and the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. Through these initiatives a broad range of community and voluntary groups are funded to tackle drug misuse. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: Under the Health Act, 2004, the management and delivery of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Services Executive. My Department has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The Mid-Term Review of the National Drugs Strategy calls on the HSE to continue to prioritise increasing the...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together. Over 6,500 individuals have been approved for funding under the 2005 Scheme of Community Support for Older People. Of these, over 5,000 were approved for socially monitored alarms; almost 1,600 for equipment designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling; almost 3,000 for security lighting and in the region of 1,600 for smoke...
- Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346, 347, 349 and 350 together. My Department has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008, which aims to tackle drugs misuse in a comprehensive way. The National Drugs Strategy Team plays a vital role in overseeing the work of the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. Twelve of the 14 Local...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: The organisation in question is funded by my Department under the White Paper funding scheme for Federations and Networks. Funding totalling â¬198,000 is provided over the period 2003 to 2006. The funding provision under the White Paper schemes expires at the end of November, 2006. A review of the effectiveness of the current spend under the White Paper is in progress in my Department and it...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: My Department is awaiting proposals from Sligo Borough Council on the scope of the overall regeneration work to Cranmore Estate and it is understood that these proposals are currently being finalised by the Council. The question of committing funding to this project is dependent of my Department's assessment of these proposals. In the meantime, my Department is currently examining tender...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: In December 2005, with the approval of the Government, I announced a New Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities. This sets out the key elements of the Government's vision for housing policy over the coming years. One of these elements is the introduction in 2007 of a new tenant purchase scheme for local authority tenants, which will allow for the sale of local authority...
- Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: I assume that the Question refers to the special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme which is operated by the Health Service Executive, formerly the Health Boards, in line with various guidelines issued from time to time by the Task Force who administer the scheme under the aegis of my Department. Under the scheme, aid is provided to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living...
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: The management, maintenance and improvements to their rented dwellings is the responsibility of each local authority and the funding of such works is provided by local authorities from their own resources as part of their ongoing maintenance programmes. My Department does, however, provide capital funding for substantial major refurbishment work to local authority dwellings under the Remedial...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: Affordable housing is provided under a number of schemes viz., the Shared Ownership Scheme, the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme, Part V of the Planning & Development Acts 2000 â 2004 and under the Affordable Housing Initiative as provided for in the Sustaining Progress Partnership Agreement. These schemes are targeted to meet a range of affordable housing needs and to assist lower income...
- Written Answers — Women's Refuges: Women's Refuges (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, through its role as chair of the National Steering Committee on Violence against Women, has overall responsibility for issues relating to violence against women. My Department has responsibility for homelessness, and as part of this, provides some funding, for accommodation related costs, to refuges for victims of domestic violence. My...
- Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: The special housing aid for the elderly scheme is administered by a Task Force under the aegis of my Department and operated at local level by the Health Service Executive. An initial allocation of â¬5 million for the scheme was notified to the Western region, which includes County Galway, in February 2006 and it is a matter for the HSE Directorate of Services for Older People, which has...
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: Ten regional drugs task forces have been established in areas not covered by local drugs task forces. Thus, all parts of the country are now serviced by a drugs task force. The overall role of the regional drugs task forces is to prepare and implement regional action plans that identify existing and emerging gaps in services relating to education and prevention, curbing supply, treatment and...
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: No, the purpose of task forces, both regional and local, is to analyse the situation. They are not starting from square one, and are rather investigating gaps in services. Other agencies, including the HSE, for example, have always provided services. The purpose of regional drugs task forces is to analyse problems and investigate if gaps exist. They put plans forward, and these plans amounted...
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: I apologise if I have come across as too calm.
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: Our job was to set the task forces up, which we did. They all consist of a group representing the various interests. We had to get the plans in and assessed, and then provide funding. That is all done.
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: It was slow initially. I am not behind the issue now, and it is for the task forces themselves to act. They have submitted the plans and we have provided funding. The driving force should now be at the regional drugs task force level. Of the â¬5 million provided, about â¬1.3 has been pulled down as of the middle of May. The process is happening, but some task forces are better than others....
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: In principle I welcome the use of moneys seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau for drug prevention and drug treatment programmes. This idea has been explored by my officials. However, the critical issue is the level of overall funding made available for the implementation of the national drugs strategy and in that regard, I am fully satisfied with the amount of â¬43 million made available...
- National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)
Noel Ahern: While I note the Deputy's comments, money collected by the Criminal Assets Bureau is not available to anybody.