Results 2,781-2,800 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is no provision in the Planning and Development Acts 2000-04 for the Minister to grant derogations in respect of Part V agreements. Accordingly, it would be a matter for the developer in question and the relevant local authority to reach agreement on the Part V contribution appropriate in this particular instance having regard to the various options available.

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department maintains close ongoing contact with the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, regarding progress on the implementation generally of the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. However, statutory responsibility for the registration of tenancies and the provision of information relating to this and other aspects of the private rented sector rests with the PRTB...

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

Noel Ahern: As details of expenditure on disabled person's and essential repairs grants in 2005 have not been received from all local authorities the information being sought is not yet available.

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I have no plans to introduce further dormant accounts legislation. As I indicated in reply to Question No. 913 on this topic on 25 January 2006, the Government is fully committed to providing supports to vulnerable Irish communities living abroad. This commitment is clearly demonstrated by the allocation of significant funding directly from the Exchequer to support emigrant organisations. In...

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I do not agree the money collected from the dormant accounts of emigrants should be used for emigrant services. That is not the direction the Government is taking. We have agreed three categories for the disbursement of funds and these funds assist people in disadvantaged areas. We do not have data on the locations of accounts, for example, how many were in Ballymun, Ballyfermot or...

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I do not have the data on the locations of the——

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I do not have it and do not know if I really want it. The Deputy may want to know whether it is possible some of the accounts were held by people abroad. I am sure some were. We are spending the money on social and economic disadvantage. What does the Deputy want? Does he want us to distribute the money in areas from which it came, probably wealthy areas because it was presumably the wealthy...

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is not. Presumably, it was people with money who had these accounts. The Deputy appears to be trying to undermine what we are trying to do by suggesting we send the money back to wealthy areas.

Proposed Legislation. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I will not take that direction.

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: As I indicated in a reply to the Deputy earlier this month, I am aware of the rehabilitation programme being provided by this project. It is in receipt of substantial core funding of approximately €80,000 per annum. In addition FÁS provides funding through its special category community employment scheme for the trainees and supervisor of the project. An application for additional...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: Some of what the Deputy has said is over the top and I do not quite understand him. He says there is a very good project in the area rehabilitating people and that is fine. It was set up under the process and has a FÁS supervisor and €80,000 per annum of core funding which provides two extra staff. Therefore, there are currently three staff involved in the project. FÁS is an important...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am answering the questions I was asked.

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: This matter has been recommended to me. In the Deputy's words and the words of others we have a project that is deemed very successful. It has three staff members and caters for 14 or 16 recovering drug users. The funding proposal put forward is for an extra €151,000 for three more staff. If the project is so successful, I am at a loss as to why it needs to double its staff. The proposal...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I cannot give the Deputy an overall figure now but under the mid-term review of the strategy we agreed to make rehabilitation the fifth pillar. Currently a working group is addressing rehabilitation in conjunction with all the relevant agencies. It is accepted by the Department that one of the weaknesses in the strategy concerned rehabilitation. The working group is operational and will...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The report of the steering group on the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy was published in June of 2005. The report was the culmination of a comprehensive review, which included extensive consultation with Departments, agencies and the public. The review was overseen by a steering group, chaired by my Department and made up of representatives of the relevant Departments and...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: I do not deny that there are more drugs available now but supply reduction is one of the pillars of the strategy. At some levels, the Garda Síochána has been very successful. Seizures in recent years have yielded enormous amounts of drugs. The Garda Síochána and customs officials have been very successful. I recently attended the launch of a new x-ray scanner for use by customs officials,...

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: The people the Deputy is talking to on the ground——

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: We approve the plans and provide the funding.

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is no problem with funding.

National Drugs Strategy. (21 Mar 2006)

Noel Ahern: There is no problem whatsoever with the money.