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AHERN OPENS HOUSING CONFERENCE IN TRALEE

AHERN OPENS HOUSING CONFERENCE IN TRALEE

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01/10/2003

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

 

AHERN OPENS HOUSING CONFERENCE IN TRALEE

Mr. Noel Ahern T.D., Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, today (1st October) opened the 2003 Biennial Conference of the Irish Council for Social Housing in Tralee, Co Kerry.

The Conference brings together representatives of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector as well as officials and elected members of housing authorities to examine the challenges facing social housing organisations in the years ahead.

Addressing the delegates at the opening of the Conference the Minister praised the efforts made by the sector to increase social housing output in recent years. "There can be no doubt that the sector has risen to the challenge put to it by the previous Government when it took office in 1997 to become a significant force in the housing area" the Minister said.

"Output under the voluntary housing Capital Funding Schemes has risen to record levels in recent years. Last years output of 1,360 units set a new record which seems certain to be exceeded this year" he added.

The Minister paid tribute also to the contribution the sector is making to address the homelessness problem. "I'm very glad to see that homelessness is on the agenda at this conference" the Minister noted adding that " we must constantly strive to seek ways of solving this problem – and I look forward to working with the sector to explore new ideas or concepts to tackle the issue of homelessness".