Results 1,921-1,940 of 4,700 for speaker:Noel Ahern
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: The review of the Disabled Persons Grant scheme, which incorporates the conditions governing the Essential Repairs Grant scheme and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly scheme was recently finalised within my Department. The requirement that local authorities make a contribution from their own resources towards the financing of the scheme has been considered in the context of the overall...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Data on the number of social and affordable houses in each local authority for each year, and for the first 6 months of 2006, are published in the Housing Statistics Bulletins, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on the Department's website at www.environ.ie. In December 2005, the Government launched a new Housing Policy Framework: Building Sustainable Communities, which...
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Information to end June 2006, on activity under Part V, in each local authority area is on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.
- Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Travellers are accommodated in standard local authority accommodation funded through the local authority social housing programme as well as through the provision of Traveller specific accommodation. The Table sets out the funding provided by my Department to local authorities in respect of the provision of new, and the refurbishment of existing, Traveller specific accommodation in 2004, 2005...
- Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 355 together. The loan limit for the Shared Ownership Scheme was reviewed and increased with effect from 1 January 2006. The maximum loan that may be advanced by a local authority in respect of the share of the dwelling being purchased (minimum 40%) is â¬185,000. While the cost of a dwelling may substantially exceed this amount, the borrower's...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: The statutory assessment of housing need is undertaken by local authorities on a triennial basis. The most recent assessment of need for social housing was undertaken by local authorities in March 2005. The results of that assessment indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists. More comprehensive data in relation to the 2005 assessment at an...
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the essential repairs grant scheme in their area from within the allocation notified to them by my Department for disabled persons and essential repairs grants and to manage the operation of the schemes from within this allocation. Allocations are notified to county councils in respect of the all local...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: In 2005, for the 11th successive year, a record output of some 81,000 new homes was achieved and this figure is set to further increase this year. Data on house loans issued in 2005 indicate that 45% of new loans were taken by first-time buyers. A significant number of mortgages for those new homes were manageable or affordable. The Government has sought to supplement the market through a...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: The figure I gave was 1,100 houses.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Deputy McCormack specifically asked about affordable houses, of which some 1,100 have been provided.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Yes.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, there are four different schemes, namely the shared ownership scheme, the 1999 affordable housing scheme, the Part V scheme and the affordable housing initiative.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: It is. The Deputy may have meant to ask about Part V, but he asked for the number of affordable houses, which is 1,100.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: Last year, for the full year there were 2,900. Those figures can be broken down if the Deputy wishes. Unfortunately, one of the ploys used is to consider the four different schemes and only refer to figure of output for one of them. In the first six months for affordable houses under Part V, which is one of our schemes, there were 367 units. I do not have the output for social housing,...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: As the Deputy said, since 2002, cash represents one method by which a developer can fulfil his legal obligations under Part V. As we discussed last week, up to the end of June â¬38 million was contributed in that way. I made it clear last week and do so again today that without these cash payments 12% or 14% would be added to the output. It is not a case of cash representing half of the...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: No, it is not. If there was no cash it would add approximately 12% to 14% to the number of units delivered. If it were 616, taking the Deputy's figure for the first six months, it would increase by that amount, which is not radically different.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: On other measures, the big initiative will be the affordable homes partnership that we launched a number of months ago. There are calls for lands and I expect announcements very soon. That partnership has been working with private developers to bring forward land that was previously not zoned or lands whose zoning has been amended. There will be announcements covering the greater Dublin...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 42 together. My Department provides capital funding through local authorities to approved housing bodies which provide accommodation in accordance with the terms of my Department's schemes for voluntary and co-operative housing. Funding is no longer a constraint on progress as far as implementation of the voluntary and co-operative housing programmes are...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: At political level, we receive requests all the time to introduce tenant purchase schemes in the voluntary housing sector. The Deputy is correct that some large organisations are strongly opposed to it. Last December, we stated in our policy document that we would instigate a pilot scheme pertaining to tenant purchase in a small number of new schemes. This must be done in consultation....
- Social and Affordable Housing. (8 Nov 2006)
Noel Ahern: I try to communicate that message to colleagues in the House. They may not be members of councils any more but at least they have links with them.