Results 2,921-2,940 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

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

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1453 of 25 January 2006. The position is unchanged.

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

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 622 together. I assume that the questions refer to housing provided by approved housing bodies with funding provided under my Department's capital loan and subsidy scheme. While there is no provision at present in the voluntary housing scheme for the purchase of individual houses by tenants, my Department indicated in the recently published document...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: My Department has approved the invitation of tenders for the provision of 32 units of accommodation for the elderly, which will be carried out under the capital assistance scheme available for voluntary and co-operative housing projects and has informed Cork County Council, which is responsible for the detailed administration of the scheme in their area, accordingly.

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

Noel Ahern: The results of the March 2005 housing needs assessment in respect of homelessness are currently being validated by my Department in conjunction with the Homeless Agency. It is anticipated that the results of this assessment will be published in the Department's annual housing statistics bulletin. Policy regarding homelessness among persons of under 18 years of age is primarily the...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is my intention that the review of the disabled person's grant scheme will be completed within the current Dáil session.

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

Noel Ahern: Information to end September 2005 on the number of affordable housing units acquired under the 1999 affordable housing scheme and Part V of the Planning and Development Acts, 2000 to 2004, is published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. Under the affordable housing initiative, a...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Notification of individual allocations to local authorities for the disabled person's grant scheme in 2006 will issue following the publication of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2006 and as soon as all authorities have submitted their expenditure outturns for 2005 and Estimates for 2006.

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

Noel Ahern: I assume the Deputy refers to accommodation provided by voluntary and co-operative bodies under the Department's voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, introduced in 1984, and capital loan and subsidy scheme, introduced in 1991. Up to and including 30 September 2005, a total of 15,982 units of accommodation have been provided since the introduction of the schemes. Figures for the...

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

Noel Ahern: A preliminary report has been submitted to my Department by Dublin City Council setting out an outline of the scope of regeneration proposals for the Charlemont Street flats, including the Tom Kelly flats complex. Some informal discussions have already taken place with the council and it is intended to hold further discussions on the proposed regeneration in the near future.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: Why does the Deputy's local council not allocate money for that purpose? Two thirds of the money is provided by the Department but councils are unwilling to allocate the remaining third.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: It is a question of priorities.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "acknowledges the achievements of the Government in: —increasing housing supply as the key response to the broad range of housing needs; —ensuring that over 500,000 houses, equivalent to one third of Ireland's total housing stock, have been completed in the past 10 years; —facilitating the...

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: It did not.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: It did not produce all the units that were forecast but the money is there. The local authorities almost have a free rein to build what they like. Deputy Sherlock said they were sitting on their backsides relying on Part V arrangements to bring forward social units. We are giving them all the money they want for their action plans so they should get on with it.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: To be fair, social housing completions are up by approximately 600 units and starts are up by approximately 900, so they are delivering. Deputy Sherlock obviously thinks they are not and there is a danger they take the lazy option and wait for activity to come about through Part V. It might have been stop-start in the past but it is not now so they should get on with it. The outturn for last...

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: People in a higher income bracket have left local authority housing because they have gone for affordable units, which cater for a substantial need. Housing is a local issue, and we must recognise that needs and responses to those needs must be conceived and designed to take account of this. Recognising the particular affordability issues in the Dublin area, the Government established the...

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: This compares with 8,500 seven or eight years ago. The completion figures for last year are good. Deputy Lynch mentioned the number on the waiting list in Cork city, but nationwide the list is down 9.5% from three years ago.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: The figure is now approximately 43,000 households, and many of them will be single people though we do not have the detail yet.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: If Deputy Lynch is friendly with any councillors will she press them on the matter? They can build what they like now.

Rent Supplement: Motion. (14 Feb 2006)

Noel Ahern: I am doing my job. I was trying to provide the Deputy with a little information because she does not seem to be in receipt of the facts. There is no hold up. I have been long enough in this business to remember occasions under previous Governments when funding was not available. The standard excuse given was that it was buried in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local...