Results 2,901-2,920 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Government has actively addressed the issue of housing affordability. Our policy has been to make housing supply more responsive to demand to improve affordability and access to housing, particularly for first time buyers. There is clear evidence that this policy is having effect; 2005 was the eleventh year of record overall house completions, with more than 80,000 completions. Increased...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department has not assessed numbers of households likely to require assistance from affordable housing measures in the period 2006 to 2010. However, local authorities, in drawing up their housing strategies, estimate the proportion of need for new households in their area that would fall below a common affordability threshold. Housing strategies are an important tool in assessing overall...

Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The new Centre for Housing Research replaces the housing unit which was set up as a joint initiative between my Department and the local authorities in 1998. The overall purpose of the centre, which operates out of the Institute of Public Administration, is to facilitate the improved management of the public and social housing sector and in this regard the centre will continue the work...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Local authorities are responsible for meeting the accommodation needs of homeless persons. It is consequently a matter for individual authorities to determine the level of bed and breakfast accommodation to be provided, having regard to the need for such accommodation within their areas. My Department does not have detailed information on the bed and breakfast arrangements applying to...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Very significant resources are being made available to address the issue of homelessness at national level. Any further development and reorientation of services for homeless persons generally will be taken forward in the context of a revised Government strategy on homelessness, to be prepared by my Department having regard to the independent review of the implementation of homeless...

Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Under section 95 (1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities are obliged to ensure that sufficient and suitable land is zoned for residential, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, to meet the requirements of their housing strategy and to ensure that a scarcity of residential land does not occur at any time during the period of the plan or within a reasonable...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 212 together. The Residential Tenancies Act is generally operating well and I am not aware that deficiencies in the security of tenure provisions have come to light. It is a statutory function of the Private Residential Tenancies Board to review the operation of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and any related enactments and make recommendations to...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department is currently compiling the output figures for social housing for 2005 on the basis of returns from local authorities. These figures will be published in due course in the Department's annual housing statistics bulletin for 2005 and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. Based on returns to date, I expect this will show an increase on the total number of houses...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Figures available to my Department indicate that the number of local authority houses constructed or acquired in recent years far exceeds the number of local authority houses sold under tenant purchase schemes. For example, in the years 2000 to 2004 22,785 units were constructed or acquired by local authorities while 7,669 local authority units were sold to tenants.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: There has been unprecedented growth in overall housing output in Ireland over the past decade and this in itself is providing greater choice and access to housing for our growing population. The year 2005 represented a further record year, with nearly 81,000 new homes completed. In addition, there is now in place a broad range of targeted measures to meet the needs of lower income groups. As...

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The unprecedented demand for housing, consequent on rapid economic growth and demographic changes, has been the major driver of house price increases in recent years. Although precise information is not available, it is clear there has been significant activity over this period by investors in the housing market. This is to be expected in a growing economy. While at different times and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I assume that the question refers to rates of funding applying under the voluntary housing schemes. I have recently announced increased funding limits for categories of accommodation under the schemes which are set out in the following table: Capital Assistance Scheme Ordinary Higher Certain offshore islands â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ Category 1 (one or two person units) 110,000 150,000...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223, 650 and 651 together. Details in respect of the number of social houses provided under the local authority housing programmes and by the voluntary and co-operative housing associations in 2005 are not yet available. My Department is compiling and collecting these statistics. However, details are available for the nine months from January to September 2005...

Written Answers — Community Support Scheme: Community Support Scheme (14 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. Maximum individual grants are provided under the scheme as follows: €300 in respect of...

Written Answers — Community Support Scheme: Community Support Scheme (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, decisions on the disbursements of funds from dormant accounts under the initial round of funding were a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. The board engaged Pobal, formerly Area Development Management Limited, to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf. Among the...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Since 2000, the Department of Health and Children has provided €32.4 million additional funding to the Health Service Executive towards the implementation of Homelessness — An Integrated Strategy. This funding has been spent on meeting the in-house care costs associated with accommodation for homeless adults along with developing new designated services for homeless adults who are not...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Details in relation to the number of affordable houses completed under the 1999 affordable housing scheme and Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 are published in my Department's quarterly and annual housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. The statistics are compiled on a...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: In December 2005, the Government launched a new Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities which outlines key principles underpinning housing policy and investment over coming years. The framework sets out an important programme of investment and reform to address the key policy challenges highlighted by the NESC report on housing and takes account of the results of the 2005...

Written Answers — Management Company Fees: Management Company Fees (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department issued a circular letter on 25 January 2006 reminding local authorities of their obligations under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in relation to taking in charge of estates. The circular letter also clearly states that the existence of a management company to maintain elements of common buildings, carry out landscaping, etc. must not impact upon the...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993 specify the minimum standards applying to rented accommodation, both private and social. Article 7 of the regulations requires that rented accommodation contain an appliance or appliances capable of providing adequate space heating. Enforcement of the regulations is a function of the relevant local authority. The individual in...