Results 4,321-4,340 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

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 demand; —achieving the 9th successive year of record housing completions involving the addition of 68,819 new houses in Ireland in 2004;—

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: ——continuing to develop measures to address affordability; —putting in place a strong social and affordable housing programme involving investment of €1.8 billion in 2004; —progressing the commitment in the Sustaining Progress partnership agreement to the delivery of an ambitious scale of affordable housing——

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: ——through the affordable housing initiative and Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2002 and to reviewing the effectiveness of programmes designed to assist low income groups, including those with social and special housing needs; and —introducing and resourcing an integrated strategy on homelessness; and supports the continued actions by the Government to increase housing...

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: ——and the positive effects thereof. It is blatantly obvious that the Labour Party tables this sort of standard motion every few months to create news and obtain a few soundbites——

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: ——in the run-up to the local elections.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: One could say that if the Labour Party cannot come up with anything——

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: No, I will not.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: No. I listened for 40 minutes and I am entitled to have my say.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. These are standard Labour Party tactics and we see them used on Leaders' Questions every day.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented demand for housing, brought about by a number of economic and demographic changes, including rising disposable incomes, historically-low interest rates and changing household formation patterns. These factors continue to place significant pressure on housing demand and house prices. The Government's strategy is to increase housing supply to meet...

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: One should look at the economy over recent years or the census returns which issued some months ago. They show the population of the country rose by 8%, approximately 270,000 people, in six years. One would not find another country in the world, not to mind Europe, where the population increased by 8% nationally in six years. That is an enormous increase in population. Many people who have...

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: In previous decades there was not such a demand for housing. There was a surplus of housing.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: When Fine Gael and the Labour Party were in power we usually had a recession and people were getting on the boat to get out of the country as quickly as they could.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: Obviously, if we have an economic boom and ——

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: —— huge numbers of people return to the country, having emigrated in previous decades, at an age group where they are setting up home, it puts pressure on the situation. The Opposition could only look on while this Government led the economic transformation which brought a degree of prosperity unimaginable a generation ago. I agree there is pressure on prices, however, price is not...

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: I plead with the Chair to intervene. I had the manners to listen to the Opposition. I do not mind a little heckling but I should be given the chance to speak. Our success is evidenced by our outstanding house completions record.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: I might have some news for the Deputy, why does he not listen?

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: It amuses me to hear people such as the Deputy ranting and raving all the time about social housing when the local authority of which he was a member until recently would not build any such houses.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy should listen for a while.

Housing Provisions: Motion. (25 May 2004)

Noel Ahern: The year 2003 was the ninth record year for house completions, with 68,819 units completed, an increase in output of over 19% on 2002——