Results 2,621-2,640 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 248 of 1 December 2005 and Nos. 117 and 151 of 14 February 2006. As previously indicated, the Government considers that improving public information on radon, so as to enable and encourage householders to address monitoring or remedial requirements economically, is the most effective approach in Irish circumstances to ensuring radon safety in homes. It...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 4 on today's order paper.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Details in relation to the number of social and affordable houses provided in 2005 under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2004 are available on the Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The new house grant scheme was terminated in 2003 to concentrate housing programmes on areas of greatest impact and social need. It is not proposed to reintroduce the grant. However, through overall increases in supply, and increasing output under various affordable housing initiatives, the Government are seeking to improve access to home ownership for first time buyers. These targeted...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Government have put in place a number of new arrangements to facilitate the delivery of strong programmes of social and affordable housing. A total of €6.5 billion has been invested in housing capital programmes from Exchequer resources since 1997. Under the current National Development Plan, spending at end 2005 was 3% ahead of forecast. Largely due to construction inflation, the...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Commission on the Private Rental Residential Sector, on whose report the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 is based, did not recommend that the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) should collect and hold tenancy deposits, presumably because of certain practical difficulties associated with the performance of such a function and the requirement for a high degree of co-operation by...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The setting of budget costs by my Department for the construction of social housing schemes would involve adjustments of funding levels to eliminate duplication of funding sources should there be cases where funding is provided by Sustainable Energy Ireland for energy efficiency measures.

Written Answers — Housing Sector: Housing Sector (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is not possible to estimate reliably the level of demand from particular categories of potential house buyers because this depends on a wide range of demographic, economic, financial and social factors. However, indicative statistical data, based on mortgage lending provided to the Department, suggests that in 2005 45% of mortgages for new houses, and 30% for second hand houses were taken...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: A new Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities which outlines key principles underpinning housing policy and investment over the coming years was launched last December. The framework proposes an integrated approach to housing in Ireland and firmly places housing policy in the context of building sustainable communities. The delivery of high quality housing for those who...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Following the receipt of documentation requested from Cork County Council, which is responsible for the detailed administration of the voluntary housing scheme in its area, further clarification has been sought and is awaited. When this is to hand the application will be further considered by my Department and the Council will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: The most recent assessment of need for social housing, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005, indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists compared with 48,413 households in March 2002, a decrease of almost 10%. More comprehensive data on the assessment at an individual local authority level will be published shortly in the Annual...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together. The loan limit for the Shared Ownership Scheme was reviewed and increased with effect from 1 January 2006. The maximum loan that may be advanced by a local authority in respect of the share of the dwelling being purchased (minimum 40%) is €185,000. However, the cost of the dwelling may exceed this amount subject to the borrower's income...

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Part V is being actively operated in all local authority areas and provision of homes for first-time buyers and young families under it is gathering momentum. Up to the end of 2005, 701 social and 1,470 affordable housing units were delivered to local authorities. Output last year was more than double that in 2004. In addition to the number of housing units, 38 land transfers to local...

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Deputy Gilmore cites the figure 35,000, but I am not sure what period was covered by that figure. Was it over a ten-year or five-year period? If we take last year's output, overall housing output for the year was 81,000. Using rough figures that would apply any year, of that number approximately 20,000 would be one-off houses, 7,000 or 8,000 would be social, affordable or voluntary houses and...

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Is that over a ten-year period or what?

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is no point in talking about nine years when the Act has not been passed for half of that time. We need time for planning permissions to run out, normally five years.

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: Any of the new houses for sale and on view on a Saturday or Sunday or in the property pages of the newspapers are houses that got planning permission before the Act was passed. We changed the law at the end of 2002 to encourage supply.

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: It was to supply housing for all the extra people working and earning a living in this economy who have the money to buy.

Local Authority Housing. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: They are buying homes. Who does the Deputy think bought the 81,000 units built last year? It was mainly first-time buyers.

House Prices. (4 May 2006)

Noel Ahern: House price increases have been driven primarily by the increase in demand for housing that has resulted from the unprecedented growth in recent years in the population and the economy. In response, the Government has taken action on a wide front to maximise access to home ownership, especially through measures to promote adequate supply of housing to meet demand. Investment in...