Results 3,421-3,440 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: In its management of capital allocations for social and affordable housing, my Department has approved the development of five-year social and affordable housing sector plans by all local authorities. These are based on considered assessments by the local authorities of their areas' housing needs. By this and other means, my Department seeks to ensure the effective management and delivery of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I assume the Deputy is referring to Mulranny Western Holdings from which group an application has been received under the 2005 programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations. The process of assessment of the large number of applications received under the 2005 programme is ongoing and I expect to decide on qualifying applications early in November 2005.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 417 of 21 June 2005.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (12 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is the main source of funding for social housing capital expenditure by local authorities. In this particular case a request for funding was received from Wicklow County Council for the purchase of the house in question and funding is being provided in the normal way. As with all such cases, the issue of the tenancy of the house is a matter to be...

Written Answers — Drugs Task Forces: Drugs Task Forces (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I am aware in general terms of the statement made by the outgoing chairman of the Tallaght drugs task force. I acknowledge that increased use of cocaine, in powder and more particularly in crack form, would present very serious challenges to drugs services. As the Deputy will be aware, there is no substitution treatment drug for cocaine and existing services such as counselling and...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I have arranged for templates of the relevant circulars, which issued by way of individual notification to each local authority, to be made available to the Oireachtas Library. If the Deputy requires further detailed information, my Department will be pleased to provide this.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, as amended, enables local authorities to grant shared ownership leases, and permits the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to make regulations governing the operation of the scheme. No regulations have been made to date. However, the income limits for eligibility for a local authority housing loan to purchase by way of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: The issue of succession to tenancies by family members living in a local authority dwelling is entirely a matter for local authorities to be decided in accordance with their scheme of letting priorities. The guidelines issued by my Department to local authorities indicate that a scheme of letting priorities should normally contain provisions to allow, subject to appropriate conditions,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 530 together. Since 2000 local authorities have operated their housing construction programmes on the basis of a four-year multi-annual allocation of house starts for the period 2000 to 2003. This replaced the system of individual annual house start allocations in operation prior to 2000. Information on the number of authorised starts allocated to each...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: Donegal County Council submitted preliminary outline proposals to my Department in June 2005 for funding under my Department's remedial works scheme to undertake refurbishment work to a significant number of local authority houses in the county including a small number of such houses at that particular location. Given the significant number of proposals submitted by the council, my Department...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I assume that the question refers to Russell Square, Tallaght, a joint venture development between South Dublin County Council and Kelland Homes Limited. who jointly owned the land. My Department was informed by South Dublin County Council some time ago that the complex legal issues associated with this development had been concluded and that this would allow the houses to be occupied....

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: The administration of the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes is a matter for individual local authorities, in this case Louth County Council. The council received a capital allocation of €1,120,000 for the payment of disabled persons and essential repairs grants in 2005, which was the full amount sought by it for this purpose. No further requests for increased funding have...

Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: There is no application before my Department for approval for accommodation for Traveller families in Kilcormac. However, It is understood that the council is developing proposals for the provision of six group houses at Kinnitty Road, Kilcormac. These proposals will, of course, be subject to the normal public consultation procedures locally. Any formal application for approval will be dealt...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 548 together. The financial allocations to local authorities in 2004 for their housing construction and acquisition programmes took account of authorities' proposed housing starts and their contractual commitments on schemes under construction at the beginning of 2004. Detailed information on the number of local authority house starts and completions...

Seanad: National Heritage Week. (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I thank Senator Feighan for raising this matter and for allowing me the opportunity of addressing the topic of heritage week. Heritage week is part of the European heritage days initiative introduced by the Council of Europe in 1991 with the support of the European Union. Ireland was one of the first countries to take part in European heritage days and this year over 40 countries are...

Seanad: National Heritage Week. (11 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I will see what can be done for the Senator or if an estimate of what is spent by the Heritage Council can be made available. The Department does not compile the costs of efforts by other organisations but perhaps it can do so in respect of the Heritage Council on a county and site basis.

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (6 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 174 of 28 April 2005. The processing of applications received under the 2005 scheme is ongoing. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs expects to make the first payments to qualifying organisations shortly.

Written Answers — House Prices: House Prices (5 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: My Department does not have comprehensive data on average house prices in all locations. However, information on the average house prices in five specified areas, namely Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, together with an average price for all other locations is published on a quarterly and annual basis in the Department's housing statistics bulletin, copies of which are available in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (5 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, through its role as chair of the national steering committee on violence against women, has overall responsibility for issues relating to violence against women. With regard to accommodation, capital funding is available through my Department's capital assistance scheme to voluntary housing bodies providing accommodation to meet special...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (5 Oct 2005)

Noel Ahern: The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's examination of the issue is continuing with a view to clarifying the position for local authorities as soon as possible.