Results 2,861-2,880 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (23 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: There are no restrictions on the number of local authorities to which a housing applicant may apply to be housed. Section 9 (5) of the Housing Act 1988 allows a local authority to include on its waiting list persons who are living outside their functional area and who in the opinion of the local authority are in need of housing.

Written Answers — Traveller Community: Traveller Community (23 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department's responsibilities in regard to Travellers are to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial framework in place within which local authorities, relevant voluntary bodies, and Travellers may provide or be assisted in the provision, management and maintenance of accommodation for Travellers. The legislative framework is provided by the Housing (Traveller...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (22 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that funding to the Sherkin Island Development Society under my Department's community development programme was discontinued in 2004. He will also be aware that a process is currently underway to achieve simplified local delivery structures with improved coverage and levels of service locally. Any future community development supports and associated resources from my...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (22 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that disbursements from the dormant accounts fund are designed to assist three broad categories of persons, those who are socially or economically disadvantaged, those who are educationally disadvantaged and persons with a disability. The Government has approved the allocation of €60 million from the dormant accounts fund in 2006, of which €24 million will be...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (22 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, decisions on the disbursement of dormant accounts funds were previously a matter for the dormant accounts fund disbursements board which was established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. On 1 September 2005, the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005 came into force, which provides for significant changes to the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts and for a...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 1453 of 25 January 2006. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: In accordance with section 9 of the Housing Act 1988, an assessment of need for local authority housing took place on 31 March 2005. This assessment was the most accurate to date and required local authorities to submit their returns in electronic format to the local government computer services board, LGCSB, which then entered it onto a data warehouse. In order to ensure a consistency of...

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

Noel Ahern: As I stated in my answer to question no. 236 of 15 February, the centre in question has received substantial funding of €3,221,647 from the young people's facilities and services fund to cover construction and fit out costs. I understand that a small saving was made in the main construction costs. However, this funding is being used on the ongoing further capital development of the centre....

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

Noel Ahern: The programme of grants for locally-based community and voluntary organisations is funded by my Department and supports the activities of local voluntary and community groups. The programme consists of three schemes: one makes funds available for small scale refurbishment of premises. This is complemented by a second scheme to provide for the purchase of essential equipment including IT...

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

Noel Ahern: An application was received by my Department from the organisation in question under the 2005 programme of grants for locally-based community and voluntary organisations. Each application received under the programme was assessed by Pobal on behalf of my Department by reference to the criteria set out in the published guidelines, and scored accordingly. The application from the organisation...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The scheme of community support for older people encourages and assists the community's support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. The scheme is open to people aged 65 and over who have a genuine need for assistance under this scheme and is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The scheme of community support for older people encourages and assists the community's support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. Responsibility for the scheme transferred to my Department in June 2002. Details of funding under the scheme since 2002 are as follows: Year Amount (€million) 2002 2.67...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 651 and 658 together. The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: No proposals for funding have been received in my Department from Kildare County Council on the matter in question.

Written Answers — Social Housing: Social Housing (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Based on Department of Social and Family Affairs data 60,176 households were in receipt of rent supplement at the end of December 2005. More than half of these, approximately 33,000 cases, have been on the scheme for 18 months and represent the primary target group for accommodation by housing authorities under the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, or by other forms of social housing. The...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (21 Feb 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 €2.2 million for the scheme was recently notified to the Dublin mid-Leinster region, which includes South Dublin County Council and it is a matter for the HSE directorate of services for older...

Written Answers — Disabled Person's Grant Scheme: Disabled Person's Grant Scheme (21 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: A reply will issue shortly to the person concerned regarding this matter.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (16 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The western regional drugs task force covers the counties of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon and this task force, in line with the other nine RDTFs, submitted an action plan to the national drugs strategy team in 2005. An initial sum of €340,000 was subsequently sanctioned to enable the task force to kick start the implementation of the actions contained in that plan. It is the intention of the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (16 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The detailed information sought is not available to my Department. It is standard practice where a tenant purchaser sells their house that they would not be subsequently rehoused by the local authority other than in exceptional circumstances.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (16 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1512 of 25 January 2006. The position is unchanged.