Results 3,501-3,520 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: There are no proposals currently with my Department regarding this estate. Meath County Council intends to appoint consultants to draw up preliminary proposals for the refurbishment of the estate and my Department will be consulted in due course on any proposals that may be developed.
- Written Answers — Disabled Person's Grant Scheme: Disabled Person's Grant Scheme (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Question Nos. 485 and 486 together. A combined capital allocation of â¬73 million was made available to local authorities for the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes in 2004. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the disabled person's grant scheme from within this combined capital allocation. While two...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 506 and 507 together. The first multi-annual housing programme for the period 2000-03 provided for the commencement or acquisition of 25,000 units during the period. Detailed information on the number of local authority house starts and completions and output by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector by local authority for the years 2000 to 2003 is...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Details of the number of affordable houses completed are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins up to September quarter 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Information will shortly be available to end 2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics bulletin. Data relevant to the Deputy's question is also available on the Department's website at...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Details of the number of houses completed under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-04 are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins. Information is already available to September quarter 2004 from the Oireachtas Library. Information will shortly be available to end 2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics bulletin. Data relevant to the Deputy's question is also...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Separate figures on the number of social houses provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, have been compiled by my Department only since 2003. Detailed information on the output for 2003 on an individual local authority basis is available in the 2003 annual housing statistics bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Information is...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Part V affordable completions comprise the total output to end 2004 under Sustaining Progress. Details in regard to these completions are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins up to September quarter 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library. Information will shortly be available up to end 2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics bulletin. Data...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I assume the question refers to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons. Under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, my Department recoups local authorities 90% of the expenditure in regard to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons. The Government is committed to tackling homelessness in all its forms and to achieve this, funding has been increased...
- Written Answers — First-Time House Buyers: First-Time House Buyers (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: My Department does not have definitive figures on the number 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, the following estimates arise: Year Estimated number of First-Time Buyers 1997 25,000 1998 27,000 ...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Details of the number of houses completed under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-04 are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins. Information is already available up to September quarter 2004, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library. Information will shortly be available up to end-2004 in the 2004 annual housing statistics bulletin. Data...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: The statutory assessment of housing need is undertaken on a triennial basis by local authorities. The most recent assessment was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005 and it is anticipated that the results of this assessment will be available for publication in September of this year. The previous two assessments took place in 2002 and 1999 and indicated that in March 2002 a total of...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: The information requested is set out in the following table: Local Authority House Completions. Local Authority 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Clare County Council 22 75 68 68 51 Ennis Town Council 3 3 28 35 21 Kilrush Town Council 3 27 8 0 0
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: The Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion agreed the report of the steering group on the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy in April and it was published earlier this month. The report is the culmination of the mid-term review, a comprehensive review process launched last year and included extensive public consultations. A steering group, chaired by my Department, made up of the...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: Progress has been considerable. Seven of the ten regional plans have been submitted. The first tranche of resources of these will be announced in the next ten to 14 days. The Department is driving it through the national drugs strategy team. The problem has spread to other Leinster towns as evidenced with the recent deaths, which are sad. That is what the regional task force plans will...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: However, some of these towns have adopted the attitude that the problem does not exist or if it is ignored it will go away. The only way to tackle a problem is by providing services. Treatment is one of the main pillars of the strategy, which is focussed through the Department of Health and Children. There were indications that some new people in the Health Service Executive were trying to...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 301 together. My Department was allocated â¬31.5 million to fund drugs initiatives in 2005, which represents an 18% increase on last year's budget. Through the funding available to me, the valuable work being done by local drugs task forces, LDTFs, and the young peoples facilities and services fund, YPFSF, will continue to be supported and developed....
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I did not catch the Deputy's first point. On the multi-annual funding, all the funding is rolled out in accordance with plans submitted and approved. That part is all right. When the projects are in place for a certain period of time, they are evaluated. The theory is that they are mainstreamed back into the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children and so on, and the funding...
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: If it was part of the organisation's plan and if it was a genuine cost, it would be allowed. An organisation would get a slight increase based on its staff projects.
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: I think that is covered.
- National Drugs Strategy. (29 Jun 2005)
Noel Ahern: There is a problem in the drugs area and there is a strategy in place to deal with it which is receiving considerable funding from Government. Over the past seven or eight years, approximately â¬200 million has been provided through the local drugs task forces and the young people's facilities and services fund, not to mention all the money spent by the Garda and Customs and Excise on law...