Results 1,501-1,520 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: The management and maintenance of rented dwellings is the responsibility of the local authority concerned. I understand that a voluntary body manages this property on behalf of the housing authority and has received notice of the complaint.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: As indicated in reply to Questions Nos. 169, 574 and 575 of 27 February 2007, the 500 homes in question are additional to affordable housing being delivered under the range of other affordable housing mechanisms, including the arrangements under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (7 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: Information to end September 2006 on the number of housing units provided under the various affordable housing schemes in each local authority area is published in my Department's Quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library, and also on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. While final data for the final quarter of 2006 are not yet...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (7 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: Up to the 31 December 2006, nearly €1.3 million has been expended in respect of the regeneration of the Cranmore Estate out of an allocation of €1.8 million. The Council's proposal to refurbish vacant houses in the estate, on which approximately €500,000 has been spent to date, is currently underway. My Department is actively engaged with the local authority in scoping the regeneration...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: My Department provides funding for projects such as the one that the Deputy refers to, through the Programme of Grants for Locally Based Community and Voluntary Organisations. This Programme supports the activities of locally based community and voluntary organisations by way of three Schemes: the Scheme of Refurbishment Grants; the Scheme of Equipment Grants and the Scheme of Training,...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (6 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: An application to the Dormant Accounts Fund has been received from the organisation in question. Due to a misunderstanding, there was a delay in processing this application, however, at this stage processing is well advanced. The applicant has been advised of the position.

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (6 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: My Department recently met with Longford 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 to the Department to enable the making of allocations for 2007.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (6 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: The administration of the various affordable housing schemes, including the allocation of affordable housing, is a matter for each local authority. Local authorities are required to draw up a scheme of allocation priorities based on broad criteria set out in legislation. As the making and amendment of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority my Department has no role in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (6 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: I refer to the reply to Question No. 569 of 27 February 2007. The position is unchanged. It is a matter for the local authority to determine in particular cases whether the cost of external works on private houses in local authority estates should be financed, up to the possible maximum of 50%, from their Internal Capital Receipts.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (1 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: The processing of the approximately 1,300 applications received by my Department under this Programme is ongoing and I recently announced the first tranche of funding. The group referred to by the Deputy is not amongst those so far processed, however, I will be announcing further allocations of funding under this Programme in the coming months and I expect that, following completion of the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Mar 2007)

Noel Ahern: Under my Department's Remedial Works Scheme, Sligo Borough Council submitted a proposal for refurbishment works to the estate in question. My Department has requested further information from the Council to enable consideration to be given to the proposal. On receipt of this information from the Council a decision will be made on the matter.

Social and Affordable Housing. (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: I thank Deputy Walsh for raising this matter. The site in Clonakilty was one of the sites released to the affordable housing initiative announced in December 2003. It was released by Deputy Walsh during his tenure as Minister for Agriculture and Food. I acknowledge that fact because the Deputy and the Department were helpful at the time in putting forward a number of sites for the...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: Information in relation to the local community and voluntary groups funded under the Scheme of Community Support for older People, listed by county, is available on my Department's website at www.pobail.iettp://www.pobail.ie/ en/CommunityVoluntarySupports/Community SupportforOlderPeople/.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 85, 108 and 142 together. While I am aware of the Dublin City University report referred to by the Deputies, I do not consider that anything of significance can be concluded on the basis of the information therein. The sample of notes used would appear to have been quite small and such surveys can give dramatic outturns, particularly given the potential...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: The introduction of a law to make it an offence to incite someone to take drugs is a matter for my colleague Michael McDowell T.D. Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. However, I would be of the opinion that such legislation would not represent an appropriate, or effective, response to tackling the problem of drug misuse. In this context, the Deputy should note that prevention and...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: I am aware of the approach adopted in the Netherlands, which facilitates the use of cannabis under specific conditions, and in Portugal, where there is an emphasis on dealing with problem drug users through treatment procedures rather than through the courts in the first instance. However, these approaches have not been taken into account in shaping the current National Drugs Strategy. It is...

Written Answers — Drug Treatment Programme: Drug Treatment Programme (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that primary responsibility for drug treatment rests with my colleague, Mary Harney T.D., the Minister for Health and Children. However, I understand that the Health Service Executive (HSE) provides addiction services in nine locations in the Midlands region. The range of services provided includes methadone maintenance, counselling, education/awareness programmes...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 125, 129 and 145 together. Overall Garda figures for 2006 relating to drugs have yet to be finalised and we must await the annual report of An Garda Síochána for last year before a final judgement can be made on the overall level of seizures across the full range of illicit drugs. However, I am aware that provisional Garda figures indicate that 136kgs...

Written Answers — Drug Treatment Programme: Drug Treatment Programme (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: Issues around the provision of methadone by pharmacists are primarily a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). However, I am aware of the concerns expressed by the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU), having been contacted by a representative of that Union recently. I understand from the HSE that these issues, as well as various other matters raised by the IPU, are being followed up in...

Written Answers — Suicide Prevention: Suicide Prevention (28 Feb 2007)

Noel Ahern: Funding to assist suicide prevention initiatives was one of the priority funding measures approved by Government for support from the Dormant Accounts Fund in 2006. In this regard, details concerning the allocation of almost €1 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund to support twenty suicide prevention projects were announced on 23 October 2006. The key objective of this funding measure is...