Results 2,141-2,160 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (7 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: The Counted In survey, which is a special purpose count of people using homeless services carried out in Dublin every three years since 1999 through the Homeless Agency, supported by my Department, is generally considered to provide the most robust indicator. The results of the most recent survey, in March 2008, reported a total of 1,436 homeless households in Dublin, compared with 1,361 in...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (12 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department's involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources...

Written Answers — Local Authority Lands: Local Authority Lands (12 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: In April 2010, my Department issued a circular letter to housing authorities setting out revised arrangements for the funding of land used for social housing and seeking information on local authority residential land holdings for the purpose of land-use strategy planning. For the purpose of this land audit, information was sought on the location, size, title, zoning status, whether the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: The illegal occupation of land comes within the remit of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994. The operation of this Act is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Law Reform and the enforcement of its provisions is a matter for the Garda Síochána. From a planning perspective, it is the responsibility of developers to ensure that lands that are part of construction sites are...

Seanad: Flood Relief (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Senator for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley. The role of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government during a severe weather event is to ensure local authorities are prepared to respond properly to ameliorate the worst effects of those aspects for which they...

Seanad: Flood Relief (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: Having regard to where I come from, I fully appreciate the point made by the Senator. The question was put to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government which has a responsibility towards local authorities to co-ordinate their responses. The other issues relate to the OPW which is the lead agency and has allocated substantial funds for the carrying out of surveys and...

Seanad: Flood Relief (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: In the last paragraph I outlined clearly the situation regarding the Department. In response to the committee's report, the Minister has asked the Department to complete its review of the severe weather emergencies before the end of October and this review will have the benefit of the input of the committee. This is important from a local authority perspective. Irrespective of what works...

Seanad: Flood Relief (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: The question is that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government would come to the House and respond to the flooding report published in July by the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It did not ask any other questions. That is the response, with all due respect to the Senator.

Seanad: Flood Relief (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I certainly understand the Senator's intention.

Seanad: Archaeological Heritage (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I appreciate that it has been under examination in my Department for some time and I am pleased to be in a position to confirm that a decision has now been arrived at. To recap for the benefit of the House, the background to the case is that during archaeological monitoring of a nearby housing development, part of the remains of the medieval Lorro...

Seanad: Broadcasting Services (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter and affording me an opportunity to speak on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The Government's stated policy objective is to achieve the closure of Ireland's analogue terrestrial television network by the fourth quarter of 2012. The closure of the analogue television network is...

Seanad: Broadcasting Services (13 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I will pass a note to the office of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on the questions the Senator has raised and ask that a response be issued to her.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: The information requested is set out in the following table: 2009€m 2010€m Allocation 56.000 56.000 Expenditure 56.057 36.586* *expenditure to date (end Sept 2010) The above expenditure does not include an additional 10% provided by the local authorities from their own resources.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 469 of 12 October, 2010 which sets out the position in this matter.

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy Report: Statements (14 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I thank Members for the opportunity to outline the background to the rationale, content and recommendations of the national spatial strategy update and outlook report 2010. The national spatial strategy was published in November 2002 as a high-level 20-year national planning framework to guide the achievements of more balanced regional development to long-term planning and infrastructural...

Strategy on Homelessness (19 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 69 together. Action to address homelessness is a matter for the housing authorities and the HSE, which have statutory responsibility for providing accommodation and health care services for homeless persons. I have put in place a comprehensive range of measures to underpin the role of housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards achieving...

Strategy on Homelessness (19 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: The definition of homelessness must be looked at in a number of ways. Many people associate homelessness with people who sleep rough on the streets in the capital and in other centres of population. The focus of the strategy is, of course, on that category to ensure that nobody would be obliged to sleep rough. It also focuses on the other category, people who are in temporary accommodation...

Strategy on Homelessness (19 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: It is important to identify the categories of homeless and long-term homeless. There will be homelessness and nobody can prevent that. It is happening on an ongoing basis for many reasons. I will not go through them in detail but Members will be aware that it arises as a result of family disputes, health problems, substance abuse and so forth. We are focusing on people who are more than...

Strategy on Homelessness (19 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I have no information to that effect. I would be amazed that anybody would be discriminated against in this way. I will have that checked.

Strategy on Homelessness (19 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: I am not aware that is the case but I will have that checked. It is difficult to accept that any person would be discriminated against in that way. I worked in the health service and people have entitlements, irrespective of where they are. A number of people will not take up accommodation for mental health reasons and so on. They should not find themselves not being counted. They are...