Results 1,421-1,440 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: My Department recently met with Fingal County Council as part of the Housing Action Plan process for 2007. It is now a matter for the local authority to forward a programme of improvement works for 2007 to the Department.
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: The Government has approves the drafting of the Social Housing (Miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2006, which provides, inter alia, for the sale of local authority apartments to tenants under certain conditions. The drafting of the Bill is being advanced as quickly as possible and it is expected that it will be published by early summer this year.
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: My Department has issued comprehensive guidelines to assist local authorities in the implementation of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006 on a number of occasions since December 2000, with the most recent guidance issuing in November 2006. While I have no immediate plans to issue further guidance, the matter remains open for consideration on an ongoing basis in the...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: The certificates were issued by my Department on Tuesday 3 April 2007.
- Housing Management Companies. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Apartment living will constitute a key part in the future of housing in Ireland from a number of perspectives, including spatial policy, efficient land use, sustainability, housing choice and affordability. Successful apartment developments, providing good quality of life, depend on a range of factors, including the standard and quality of the units themselves, the quality of the general...
- Housing Management Companies. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: The members ought to decide the charges and call all the shots. I realise that sometimes when developers hold on to some units they have golden shares or nominee rights. The issue is to try to end them so that the people in apartment and other multi-unit complexes are in control of their co-operative or whatever one likes to call it.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Output from Part V has been increasing in recent years according as general housing activity has expanded and planning permissions which predated the implementation of Part V have been increasingly built out. From a position in 2002 where just 46 homes were delivered, provisional data indicate that 1,600 affordable homes and approximately 600 social homes were delivered under Part V in 2006....
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Last year's output is considerable, if one looks at the figures over five years â 46, then 163, 600, just under 1,400, and 2,200. That is a considerable increase. Part V does not apply and was never intended to apply to everything.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: It does not apply to one-off housing. While there is very little one-off housing around the Dublin area now, approximately 26% or 27% of housing in the country is one-off housing. It increases as one gets further from Dublin. It does not apply to small developments of under five units, nor does it apply to unzoned land. Zoned land is still a peculiarity around the big urban areas. As one...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: It could, but that is not the purpose of Part V. In many areas houses are not unaffordable. The affordability problem is in the greater urban areas. The 2001 Act related to zoned land on the basis that that was where the affordability problem lay and where there was a demand for affordable homes. There is probably only another year or so of planning permissions that got approval before...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: The loan limits have been adjusted several times. They are usually adjusted every year. It may be time to look at them again. Raising income limits for loans sometimes simply means that a different category of people qualify for the loans and the houses become more expensive. However, I will check those limits. It may be time to make another adjustment. I accept that very small...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: There are a number of social housing options available to households who cannot meet their own accommodation needs, in particular, social rented accommodation provided by local authorities, by voluntary and co-operative housing bodies or under the rental accommodation scheme, RAS. A statutory assessment of housing need is undertaken by local authorities on a triennial basis. The most recent...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: I have given Deputy Gilmore the figure from the housing needs assessment.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: That is the official method of calculating housing data. There is no total figure such as the Deputy requires.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: One can play around with figures and say that a certain number of people need State assistance. That assistance is being provided.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Yes. Approximately half of them have a long-term housing need.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Some have a short-term housing need.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: One could add figures together and make 80,000 or 90,000. However, those people's needs are being met in many ways.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Rent allowance is a way of meeting their needs. The Government has spent â¬400 million on rent allowance. Some people may have a temporary housing need and many have a long-term wish for a local authority house. By adding various figures together one can arrive at a high number. Nevertheless, the figure cited in the official triennial needs assessment is 43,684. Approximately 43% of...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (5 Apr 2007)
Noel Ahern: Some commentators may multiply the number of households by as much as eight and come up with an enormous number of individuals in need of housing. The number of single people in need of housing has increased in the past ten years. Knowing that fact helps in planning appropriate housing provision. Three bedroom semi-detached houses may not be appropriate for everyone.