Results 3,721-3,740 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The detailed information sought in the question is not available in advance to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (21 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The option of demutualisation is available to any building society under existing legislation. Two building societies have demutualised using those provisions. Current provisions preclude 15% or more of the shares in a successor company being held by an individual or institution for five years after demutualisation, unless the Central Bank directs in accordance with legislation that the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: It is the responsibility of the local authorities concerned to ensure that their houses are re-let to households on their waiting lists as quickly as possible after they are vacated. Some houses may require refurbishment before they are re-let and this is a matter for individual authorities. My Department provides capital funding, subject to conditions, to local authorities for the...

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion (Resumed). (20 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Salaries go up as well.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion (Resumed). (20 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: There were fine homes sold for that price near Drogheda.

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion (Resumed). (20 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Will the Deputy get the agreement of Members behind him for that?

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion (Resumed). (20 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: They do not need my approval.

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 15 on 14 April 2005. The Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2004 was published on 24 June 2004, fulfilling a commitment given by the Government in December 2003 following its review of arrangements regarding dormant accounts funding. The Bill is currently before the Oireachtas and, inter alia, provides for significant changes to the disbursement...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. It also has responsibility for the work of the local and regional drugs task forces as well as the young people's facilities and services fund. In overall terms, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has funding of €31.5 million...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 79, 128 and 135 of 13 April 2005 which set out details in regard to land transfers and payments in lieu. Information on the number of housing units acquired under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2004 in each local authority area is published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: My Department has not yet received an application from Kildare County Council to undertake works under the improvement works in lieu of re-housing scheme in respect of the person in question.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: It is estimated that between 20% to 25% of first time lettings by local authorities to households have been allocated to single persons in the last five years. While it is a matter for individual local authorities to decide on the allocation of houses to single persons and other categories on their waiting lists in accordance with their schemes of letting priorities, my Department has advised...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The estimated cost of the construction-acquisition of some 48,000 social housing units over the next five years based on current units costs would be in the order of €8 billion. This figure does not take into account further construction-acquisition needed to cater for the households that are likely to join the waiting list during the period.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The latest figures available for local authority housing maintenance expenditure relate to the year 2003 in which expenditure amounted to some €184 million. In addition to maintenance expenditure incurred by local authorities on their housing revenue accounts, my Department also provides capital funding to local authorities to undertake refurbishment works under various schemes, including...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Rents of local authority dwellings are determined on the basis of ability to pay having regard to various factors, including household income and circumstances; rent schemes also provide for exceptional cases where payment of the normal rent would give rise to hardship. Local authorities are responsible for the determination of the rents of their dwellings under the differential rents scheme...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Because the capital allocation to local authorities for disabled persons and essential repairs grants is a combined one, amounting to €70 million in 2005, it is not possible to indicate in advance the funding which will be available for each of these schemes. In 2004, estimated expenditure for the disabled persons grant scheme was some €45 million. It is a matter for local authorities to...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: As a result of the capital allocation to local authorities for disabled persons and essential repairs grants being a combined one amounting to €70 million in 2005, it is not possible to indicate in advance the funding which will be available for each of these schemes. My Department has not carried out a detailed estimate of the increased costs associated with an increase in the allowable...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: The accommodation needs of older people are catered for by a number of schemes operated by my Department. The essential repairs grant scheme is designed to enable people whose houses cannot be made habitable in all respects at a reasonable cost to have basic repairs carried out. The types of work allowable under the scheme, which is administered by local authorities, include repairs to roofs,...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (19 Apr 2005)

Noel Ahern: Under the amendment made to the terms of my Department's voluntary housing capital assistance scheme in November 2001, up to 25% of accommodation in new projects provided throughout the country by individual voluntary housing bodies with funding under the scheme may be allocated to elderly returning emigrants who satisfy eligibility criteria in relation to their present circumstances and are...

Social and Affordable Housing: Motion. (19 Apr 2005)

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 and demands; —ensuring that over 500,000 houses, equivalent to one third of Ireland's total housing stock, have been completed in the past ten years;...