Results 4,021-4,040 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: From a national perspective, the eastern half of the State has witnessed the most rapid development over the past decade. It has been a challenge to respond to this phenomenon in infrastructural investment in areas such as transportation and housing, two issues referred to in the motion. Housing development rapidly accelerated over the past decade throughout the so-called outer Leinster...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Transport 21 is proceeding to roll out further major investment in fixed line public transport networks.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: About a week ago. Transport 21 will support the spatial development framework for the GDA from a transportation perspective. In Adamstown, for example, this will result in the four tracking of the Kildare-Heuston suburban rail service, providing a rapid and frequent link between west Dublin and the city centre and other transport networks such as Luas. People and communities will also benefit...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Taking all of the foregoing together, we are turning around recent development trends. We accept we face a challenge and we are more realistic than the Green Party in that regard.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department and I will continue to work closely with other Departments, regional and local authorities to ensure an integrated approach. An element of the Green Party motion and the Sinn Féin rhetoric suggests that the Government has favoured private housing development to the detriment of our social and affordable housing provision, which is patently untrue.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: We have witnessed unprecedented demand for housing over the past decade, reflecting significant economic success and rapidly changing demographics.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Deputy could do his bit in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, which has the worst social housing record in the State. I will not be lectured by him. He should examine the record of the council in an area where he has influence.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Green Party controls the majority on that council, not Deputy Andrews.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: We have focused on increasing overall supply to meet increasing demand and improve affordability. We have delivered that supply and we will continue to do so. We are building at a much higher rate than our EU colleagues — almost four times the western European average. More than one third of the country's homes have been built since 1996.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: In 1994, fewer than 27,000 homes were being built in Ireland but by 1997 this had increased to almost 39,000, an extraordinary rate of increase, and there has been unprecedented growth since. Last year was the 11th year of record house completions, with output of more than 80,000 units. Crucially, we are delivering where demand is most acute and have increased supply to 18,000 units in Dublin...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The majority — 92% — of households surveyed during the last national survey of housing quality expressed satisfaction with the general condition of their accommodation, their area and their neighbourhood.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: All available indicators suggest high levels of housing output will continue to be required annually in the period to 2020. This will be a major challenge but one where this Government's track record justifies confidence. With the support of the other major political parties at local government level, we can achieve the housing output required. While we will continue to facilitate the strong...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Accordingly, the provision of strong support for social and affordable housing remains a key objective of this Government. Record funding is being provided for social and affordable housing programmes this year. With the additional funding secured in the budget, the provision for 2006 will be in excess of €2 billion, more than double such expenditure in 2000.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Deputy should at least have the honesty to acknowledge that fact. We are using these resources to good effect. In the past three years, local authorities have started on average 5,100 units, 40% higher than the average number of units commenced between 1994 and 1997. During that period, the voluntary and co-operative sector supplied approximately 900 units per annum but this has increased...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: It will make much more sense than anything the Deputy has said. The delivery of housing under Part V of the 2000 Act is beginning to increase significantly. At the end of 2005, almost 1,400 units had been delivered during the year, 2,500 were under construction and a further 3,500 were proposed under agreements with developers.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I expect 6,000 social and affordable units will be delivered under Part V between 2005 and 2007. Recognising the affordability issues in the Dublin area, the Government last year established a new agency, the Affordable Homes Partnership, to co-ordinate and add impetus to the delivery of affordable housing in and around the capital. The partnership is well established and is making good...

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I will conclude in a moment. I was harangued and harassed during my contribution. A more recently introduced measure was the supplementary development scheme.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: With regard to the designated areas scheme, I question whether the Green Party has ever read the 1973 Kenny report.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: If it had, it would see that Judge Kenny rejected the Green Party's stated objective of recovering most of the increased value of land attributable to rezoning.

Political Donations and Planning: Motion. (21 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I will finish in a moment. The Kenny report stated explicitly that legislation which provided that a local authority could acquire lands at existing value plus some percentage of it——