Results 3,261-3,280 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (15 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: To date, agreement has been reached with two private lending institutions, the Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank and the Educational Building Society, on arrangements pertaining to the provision by them of mortgage finance for applicants who have been allocated an affordable housing unit for purchase. Based on this approach, discussions are ongoing with several other leading private lenders to...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (10 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The option of demutualisation is already available to any building society under existing legislation and two building societies have demutualised using these provisions. Current legislation includes protective provisions precluding 15% or more of the shares in a successor company being held by any individual or institution for five years after demutualisation unless the Central Bank directs,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Local authorities are responsible, as part of their housing management functions, for the determination of rents of their dwellings taking into account certain principles laid down in departmental circular letters and which are set out in the reply to Questions Nos. 194 and 196 of 14 April 2005. While adhering to these principles, authorities have discretion as to the types of income to be...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (9 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Payment will be arranged by my Department on receipt of a current tax clearance certificate from the group in question.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (9 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 382 and 383 together. The capital allocations to Kildare County Council and Athy Town Council in 2005 for their housing construction and acquisition programmes includes provision for the acquisition of 63 units currently under construction under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2004.

Written Answers — Rural Renewal Scheme: Rural Renewal Scheme (9 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Some 22 applications are at present awaiting inspection in County Sligo and some 37 in County Leitrim. Inspections by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government under the rural renewal scheme are continually monitored and, where necessary, steps by way of redeploying inspectors are taken to minimise any delays that may occur.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (9 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: An inspection, with a view to the issue of a certificate of reasonable cost, if in order, will be carried out as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland are appointed by the Government under the Charities Act 1961 with a mandate to provide services to trustees of charities and to carry out the intentions of persons making donations and bequests to charity. As the commissioners are independent in the exercise of their statutory duties, I do not propose to comment on the...

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (8 Nov 2005)

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 administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. The scheme is open to people aged 65 and over who have a genuine need for assistance under...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The process of assessment of the large number of applications received under the programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations is nearing completion and I expect to decide on qualifying applications over the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Local authorities are responsible, as part of their housing management functions, for the determination of rents of their dwellings, having regard to certain broad principles laid down by my Department in circular letters HRT 3/2002 and HMandAH 1/2004. The circulars ask local authorities to ensure that rent increases do not absorb an excessive amount of increases made for the benefit of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1421 of 28 September 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The administration of the disabled person's grant scheme is delegated to local authorities within the framework laid down in statutory regulations. As far as is practicable, that is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility at local level. The review of the disabled person's grant scheme has involved an examination of the principal features of the scheme, including the question of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Under the Housing Acts, the management and control of local authority dwellings is the responsibility of the housing authority concerned. In letting a dwelling, a housing authority must ensure that the dwelling complies with the minimum physical standards set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993. Implementation of the regulations and the standards prescribed by...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Since 1986 the determination of the sale price of local authority dwellings has been based on the market value of the house. From 1995, as a development of the scheme, specific provision was made for the first time for taking into account the market value of a site provided to the housing authority for a nominal sum. Between July 1973 and 1986 the purchase price of dwellings was based on the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 530 of 4 October 2005.

Written Answers — Housing Statistics: Housing Statistics (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Department does not have definitive figures on numbers of first-time buyers in the housing market. However, using data on the numbers of loans drawn down for new and second-hand houses, together with data on buyer status based on a voluntary statistical survey of mortgagees, there were over 240,000 first-time buyers during the period from 1998 to the first half of 2005. The Department...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: Local authorities completed-acquired 4,510 units in 2004, including units acquired to let by local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004. Detailed information on the number of local authority houses completed-acquired in 2004 and the number of social and affordable units provided under Part V are available in the annual housing statistics bulletins...

Schools Amalgamation. (3 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I thank the Deputy for raising these matters as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the position with regard to the Department of Education and Science policy on multi-school campus arrangements and post-primary school sizes. In the first instance, where possible, the Department favours the development of multi-school campus arrangements. Conceivably, such an...

Local Authority Staff. (3 Nov 2005)

Noel Ahern: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The public is entitled to expect the highest standards of conduct from all local authority employees. It must also be said that local government personnel have, by and large, a long tradition of honest and committed service to their communities. The core values underlying that tradition are integrity, impartiality and dedication to the...