Results 4,581-4,600 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: While I am aware that the Depaul Trust has suggested the establishment of an ombudsman to deal with the issue of homelessness there are no proposals for such an appointment. The issue of homelessness is already being dealt with at a number of levels under the overall aegis of my Department. The Government's serious commitment to tackling the issue has been displayed in a number of ways in...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Government's integrated and preventative homeless strategies are designed to provide a practical and flexible framework for the planning and delivery of services and support for homeless persons. It does not, therefore, seem useful or appropriate to give them statutory status at this stage. The implementation of the homeless strategies is carried out at local level through the homeless...

Written Answers — Affordable Housing: Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Government has been responding actively to the increased level of social housing need by significantly expanding social and affordable housing output. The strong commitment of the Government to meeting the housing needs of low income groups and those with social and special housing needs is reflected in the total housing provision, Exchequer and non-Exchequer, of €1.885 billion in 2004,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock including rent collection, which is an integral part of their housing management function. My Department compiles, on an annual basis in arrears, statistical information in relation to rental income and the latest information available relating to 2002 was set out in the reply to...

Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: My Department's responsibility in relation to Traveller accommodation is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial framework in place within which local authorities, voluntary bodies and Travellers may provide or be assisted in the provision of accommodation for Travellers. The framework for the provision of Traveller accommodation is set out in primary legislation, the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in informing the House of changes in the SWA rent supplement scheme, has stated that there will be provision for exceptions in respect of the homeless, people who are at risk of becoming homeless and other vulnerable people. She has given a specific assurance that people who have particular problems and difficulties will be cared for and that nobody...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467, 499 to 501, inclusive, and 503 together. The affordable housing initiative forms part of the housing and accommodation special initiative under the national pay agreement, Sustaining Progress. The parties to the pay agreement proposed the new initiative with the objective of increasing the supply of affordable housing by 10,000 units thereby meeting the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Government will continue to assist low-income groups and those with social housing needs by means of a range of targeted social and affordable housing programmes. The total housing provision, Exchequer and non-Exchequer, in 2004 of €1.885 billion represents an increase of 5.5% on the 2003 provision and should enable the housing needs of more than 12,000 households to be met in 2004...

Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Each local authority concerned adopted a five-year Traveller accommodation programme covering the period 2000-04. Section 17(1) of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 required each relevant housing authority to review its accommodation programmes at least once in each three-year period. Local authorities were therefore required to undertake a review of their programmes by 31...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The Southern Health Board was allocated €1,055,000 for the operation of the special housing aid for the elderly scheme in 2003. An initial allocation of €1,050,000 for 2004 has been notified to the board.

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The statutory regulations governing the operation of the disabled persons grants scheme and the accompanying guidance circular were formally issued to local authorities in December 2001. The framework for the operation of the scheme is laid down in the regulations which, as far as practicable, are designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility to local authorities. A review of the...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Subject to the conditions of the new house grant scheme, which was terminated as and from 14 November 2002, a grant may be approved where a contract to purchase or to build a house was entered into or, in the case of a "self build" house, the foundations were poured on or before 14 November 2002 and the application for the grant was received in my Department on or before 4 December 2002. In...

Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 the provision of accommodation for Travellers, including the provision of transient halting sites, is a matter for each housing authority concerned. My Department has not received a proposal from Kildare County Council in relation to the provision of a transient Traveller halting site.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The letting of local authority housing is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with its scheme of letting priorities which is drawn up and adopted at local level. It is understood that local authorities do not accept applications for housing from applicants living outside the State. To qualify for housing here in Ireland applicants must be prepared to take up residence in...

Written Answers — Voluntary Housing Scheme: Voluntary Housing Scheme (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The following table sets out the names of the approved housing bodies which have been assisted under the terms of my Department's voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, as amended in November 2001, in providing accommodation in which units of accommodation have been made available to returning elderly emigrants. Table Aghamore Voluntary Housing Association Aras Mhuire Housing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: Guidelines issued by my Department to local authorities on the preparation of their schemes of letting priorities indicate that, inter alia, a scheme should normally contain a provision to enable a local authority to cater for transfers by tenants to and from other local authorities on conditions mutually agreed between the local authorities. My Department has no role in transfers by tenants...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: An application for further supplementary funding under the capital assistance scheme for this project was received on 6 January 2004. Wicklow County Council, which is responsible for administering the scheme in its area, has been requested to provide necessary additional details. On receipt of all the required information, the local authority will be advised of the outcome.

Written Answers — Local Government Act: Local Government Act (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: The results of the statutory assessment of local authority housing need, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing. Detailed information on the results of the 2002 assessment was published in my Department's September 2002 quarterly edition of the Housing Statistics Bulletin, copies of which are available in...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 513 together. Information on activity under the affordable housing schemes for each local authority is published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Feb 2004)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 514, 516 and 517 together. It is a matter for each local authority to administer house purchase loans in its area, having regard, as appropriate, to the housing needs and circumstances of their area. The income limit for eligibility for the shared ownership scheme and other house purchase loans is €32,000 for a single income household, with a pro rata...