Results 2,581-2,600 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Yes, after seven years. The Criminal Assets Bureau was only established about eight years ago.

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: As these moneys are ring-fenced for seven years, only a small amount has become available to the Exchequer in the past 12 months or thereabouts. While it would be fine if more CAB money were to come our way, I am more concerned about the overall amount of money available for drug treatment, rather than its origins. The Deputy referred to a figure of €43 million available for community...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Of approximately 8,000 people on methadone, about 450 are located outside Dublin. A country in which half of heroin users are on methadone is doing damn well by international standards. As I indicated, however, funding in this area is a matter for the Health Service Executive. Waiting lists are increasing in towns outside Dublin, particularly in Leinster, because services are being provided...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I presume the Aisling group submitted an application for funding, features in the regional plan and is drawing down the money allocated to it.

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Has the group drawn down the funding? Is it seeking further funding?

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: As I indicated, the regional drug task forces were established and later submitted plans which were approved. The Deputy should not blame me if the task forces did not seek adequate funding. They cannot put their plans into place on one day. It takes time and some of them are moving quicker than others. Overall, approximately €70 million per annum is being spent on programmes which started...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: While I am not aware of the comments outlined concerning a spread of the drugs trade to provincial towns and such views were not included in his formal speech, it may well be that the Garda Commissioner made such comments in the course of the AGSI conference. While the drugs trade may be more pronounced in cities, I accept it is unrealistic to think it would be confined to the largest centres...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is nothing startling in what the Commissioner is reported to have said. I have said the same several times. In any case, the comment was not in his official speech of which I have a copy. He may well have said it in a newspaper interview but there is nothing terribly new about it. We all accept that illegal drugs have spread throughout the country. That is why we have regional drugs...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Garda Síochána stresses that all members of the force are engaged in the effort against drug misuse. In addition, each division has a drugs plan and a drugs unit. It is for the Garda to manage its own resources. While many small stations might have only a couple of gardaí——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Each division has a drugs unit and a drugs plan. Gardaí have all the necessary resources. At the end of the year there will be 14,000 gardaí and while Members claim they are not based in their areas, they must be somewhere as they are on the payroll. Given last week's figures, we may soon be accused of being over-policed or a police state. The Garda Síochána insists that gardaí are...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am sure Balbriggan was once upon a time under consideration for a local drugs task force. I have met people in Drogheda and Balbriggan who are doing good work. I am sure the groups there now come under the north-east drugs task force. There are different levels. Much of the original strategy and local drugs task force plans dealt with people at disadvantaged level. There are other groups...

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: In response to Deputy Crowe, the services are being rolled out. Approximately €70 million per annum worth of services which began at local drugs task force level are now being rolled out. Over 600 people——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The methadone service may not be available everywhere because it is for the HSE to set it up. However, it is being set up. There are approximately 8,000 people on methadone and some 450 of these are outside Dublin. A couple of years ago hardly any drug user outside Dublin was on methadone and those who wanted it had to come to Dublin. It takes time to get the local doctors on level 1——

National Drugs Strategy. (16 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The services are spreading to the Leinster towns but it takes time to train and upskill doctors who want to be at level 1 or level 2 to deal with drug users.

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (11 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The following tabular statement gives details of the combined capital allocation for disabled persons and essential repairs grants notified to each local authority, and the combined expenditure on the schemes in 2005 by each local authority. Of the total expenditure of €64,643,589, €60,208,147 was in respect of disabled persons and essential repairs grants for private dwellings and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The statutory assessment of housing need is undertaken by local authorities on a triennial basis. The most recent assessment of need for social housing was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005 with the previous assessment carried out in 2002. The results of the 2005 assessment indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists compared with 48,413...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), local authorities are providing accommodation for certain recipients of SWA rent supplement who have been assessed as having a long-term housing need. At end March 2006, 60,522 households were in receipt of rent supplement. The great majority of these are accommodated in private rented accommodation with the remainder residing in accommodation...

Written Answers — House Purchases: House Purchases (10 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department does not have a breakdown of new house completions by type of buyer. However, mortgage data provided by the financial institutions indicates that during 2005 first time buyers remained a strong presence in the housing market, representing approximately 45% of the new housing loans paid out in 2005. First time buyers have also a strong presence in the second hand housing market,...

Seanad: Electoral Register: Motion. (10 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the Seanad on electoral matters. The opportunity is welcome because it allows for a greater sense of reality to be brought to the debate on the electoral register. We all recognise that the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register needs to be improved and that it should be done as quickly as possible, and certainly before the next...

Seanad: Electoral Register: Motion. (10 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The proposers of the motion are well aware that the measures they are proposing are unrealistic in the short term. The Minister, Deputy Roche, has set out a programme of action which matches the timescale between now and November next when the new draft register is due to be published. The Minister's statement makes it clear that the Government is acting in this regard. I will deal briefly...