Results 4,141-4,160 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Housing Aid for the Elderly. (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It was also dealt with today under Question No. 443 in the name of her party colleague, Deputy Wall. I am pleased to have the opportunity to give her an update on the scheme. As the Deputy knows, the scheme was started in 1982 and is funded under the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government to undertake an emergency programme to...

Housing Aid for the Elderly. (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: Yes, nationally. The sum of €11.6 million is the overall figure. We paid out €11 million, so €600,000 is left and the source of funding is the national lottery. Funding levels for 2005 are being considered at present in the context of the Estimates. However, health boards are being requested, on the basis of funding being available next year, to arrange further jobs which will not arise...

Housing Aid for the Elderly. (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: That is up to the individual council. However, in recent weeks while there is a problem in giving extra funding for this scheme because of the sources of funds, approximately an extra €7 million has been offered to county councils under the disabled person's grant and the essential repairs grant schemes. It is up to the individual local authorities to determine the issues on which the money...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 152, 153, 156, 179, 212, 226 and 227 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy is currently under way. The review is examining the progress being made in achieving the overall key strategic goals set out in the strategy and will enable priorities for future action to be identified and a refocusing of the...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 155 together. My Department's development of CSR in a community and local development context will be facilitated through a range of supports and structures such as partnerships, community development projects and Leader groups. This is an integral element of my Department's strategic objective of assisting communities, especially those suffering...

Written Answers — Voluntary Activity: Voluntary Activity (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 176 and 462 together. Considerable progress has been achieved in regard to implementation of recommendations in the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity and for Developing the Relationship between the State and the Community and Voluntary Sector. In September 2003, I announced some €7.3 million in funding to 56 organisations in...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 200 together. I indicated in the press release, which I issued on 3 June last at the end of the public consultation, that the best estimate for a publication date for the draft legislation is the end of 2005.

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 235 together. As the Deputies are aware, the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2004 was published in June 2004, fulfilling a commitment given by Government in December last, following its review of arrangements in regard to dormant accounts funding. At that time, the Government committed itself to maintaining an open, transparent and accountable...

Written Answers — Charities Legislation: Charities Legislation (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: My Department does not have legislative proposals for a league table of charities to allow for more public information regarding the way in which money is spent by charities. Such a measure would be a matter for consideration by the proposed regulatory body to be set up under the draft charities legislation to be prepared by my Department.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 238 together. Under Partnership 2000 the Government committed itself to identifying 30 priority areas for inclusion in the community development programme. Some 15 of these priority areas were funded in 2003. A further 15 pre-development projects have been approved, in principle, for inclusion in the community development programme. A total of...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, the role of the local drugs task forces, LDTFs, is to prepare local action plans, which include a range of measures in relation to such issues as treatment, rehabilitation, education, prevention and curbing local supply. In addition, the LDTFs provide a mechanism for the co-ordination of services in their areas, while at the same time allowing local communities...

Written Answers — Anti-Racism Measures: Anti-Racism Measures (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: The anti-racism information pack referred to by the Deputy was produced by asub-group of the community development pro-gramme, CDP, national advisory committee, which focuses on equality and anti-racism. The pack is not a departmental publication, but my Department provided €10,000 funding to facilitate the design, printing and dissemination of 500 packs. The pack is intended for use by...

Written Answers — Voluntary Activity: Voluntary Activity (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: In September 2003 I announced the successful applicants for two funding initiatives arising from the White Paper on a framework for supporting voluntary activity, the funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community and voluntary sector and the funding scheme for training and supports in the community and voluntary sector. The training and...

Written Answers — Drug Misuse: Drug Misuse (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 225 and 229 together. The report by the Health Research Board to which the Deputies refer — Trends in Treated Problem Opiate Use in the Seven Health Board areas outside the Eastern Regional Health Authority, 1998 to 2002 — was launched in early September. The report shows that the numbers in treatment for heroin use outside the Eastern Regional Health...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my previous replies to Questions Nos. 54 and 211 of 3 June 2004.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 463 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 12, 20, 26 and 34 of 3 June 2004. The process of examination and consideration of the issues is continuing in my Department.

Written Answers — Drug Misuse: Drug Misuse (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, the young people's facilities and services fund, YPFSF, was established in 1998 to assist in the development of facilities — including sport and recreational facilities — and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. To date, the main focus of the fund has been in the 14 local drugs task force, LDTF,...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: At the request of my Department, the national drugs strategy team established a sub-group to report on and recommend appropriate pilot projects which might be established to deal with the issue of cocaine misuse in local communities. The sub-group's report was received by officials in my Department within the last week and the recommendations contained in it are being examined at present....

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, in May last, the national advisory committee on drugs, NACD, produced a report entitled Review of Harm Reduction Approaches to Minimising the Sharing of Equipment Used to Administer Drugs. The report was commissioned in response to action 100 of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 which called for research to be conducted into the effectiveness of new mechanisms...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Oct 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 201 together. The National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 provides for the establishment of ten regional drugs task forces, RDTFs, throughout the country. Currently, the RDTFs are mapping out the patterns of drug misuse in their areas — as well as the range and level of existing services — with a view to better co-ordination and addressing gaps in the...