Results 821-840 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The total Exchequer voted capital allocation for social and affordable housing programmes in 2009 will be finalised in the context of the revised Estimates for Public Services, to be published shortly. The capital provision set out in the National Development Programme for social and affordable housing in 2010 is €1,511.38m.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 340 together. Local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations for 2009 in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, following the publication, shortly, of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2009.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: A list of projects submitted for approval by Dublin City Council under the main local authority housing programme and voluntary housing projects under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) is set out in the table. In the context of the current economic and fiscal climate and the implications of this for the social housing investment programme...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 and 349 together. The revised scheme of letting priorities submitted by Dublin City Council is currently under consideration in my Department. Officials from the Council met with my Department in November 2008 to discuss the various proposed amendments. I expect to make a decision on the revised scheme in the near future. In relation to single parent...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As part of a suite of social housing reforms, proposals to reform allocation policy, including schemes of letting priorities, were developed in consultation with the County and City Managers Association. The social partners, through the Housing Forum, and local elected representatives were also consulted on the allocation policy proposals. These proposals have been included in the Housing...

Written Answers — Housing Advice Services: Housing Advice Services (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Government has put in place a range of measures to provide advice and financial supports to households who may experience difficulties in meeting their mortgage payments. The Mortgage Interest Supplement, administered by the Community Welfare Service of the Health Service Executive on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, provides direct financial assistance where the...

Written Answers — Housing Advice Services: Housing Advice Services (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Property management companies are generally constituted under the Companies Acts and are required to operate in compliance with company law, which falls under the area of responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. My Department has no function in the provision of advice with regard to these companies. The rights and obligations of property owners in relation to...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As signalled by the Minister for Finance in Budget 2009, a new single streamlined Government Equity Scheme is to be introduced in relation to affordable housing. Initially, it is intended to apply the equity loan arrangement to affordable housing delivered under the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme, Part V of the Planning and Development Acts and the Affordable Housing Initiative, once the...

Written Answers — Estate Management: Estate Management (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department has no function in relation to the operation of apartment block management companies. These companies, comprising of the owners of dwellings are generally constituted under the Companies Acts and are required to operate in compliance with company law which comes within the area of responsibility of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The Government has recently...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage. (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Notwithstanding the magnitude of the domestic and international recession and the resulting first priority of Government to stabilise the public finances, we must continue to plan for the future. In a housing context, this preparation involves, among other issues, the provision of a modern and appropriate legislative framework to allow...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: In general, following consideration by its Board, the rates charged to local authority borrowers are normally adjusted by the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) in line with movements in European Central Bank (ECB) rates. The Agency notified local authorities in February of its decision to pass on, in full, the 0.5% decrease announced by the ECB in January. The effective rate for local authority...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: In line with the commitments set out in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, my Department is currently undertaking, with the assistance of outside consultants, a strategic review of the role of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector in the provision, maintenance, operation and management of social rented accommodation in Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, including the processing and approval of individual applications, is a matter for the local authority concerned and is one in which my Department has no direct function.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: An application by Clare County Council for post tender approval for this project under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme was received in my Department on 17 February 2009. This is being examined at present and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: An application by Cork County Council for approval to proceed with a project at Fellowship House, Spur Hill, under the Capital Assistance Scheme was received in my Department on 24 February 2009. This is being examined at present and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As part of a national programme for the "greening" of the social housing stock, some €50 million in exchequer funding has been set aside in 2009 to support a range of initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of the stock. This programme will include support for the first round of Towards Carbon Neutral demonstration projects as well as funding for insulation retrofitting projects that...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I understand the question to refer to contracts in respect of residential tenancies, as my Department has no function in relation to the general law governing the operation of contracts. Private residential tenancies, with limited exceptions, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the main provisions in respect of rent and rent reviews are set out in Part III of that Act....

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Homebond Structural Guarantee Scheme is a private company and my Department has no function in the detailed operation of the scheme.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The price of affordable housing units transferred to local authorities under Part V primarily reflects the costs negotiated, in accordance with the relevant legislation, between authorities and developers. These costs are based on the sum of the site costs, calculated at existing use value, actual construction costs as agreed between the local authority and the developer, plus reasonable...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The allocations to the Health Service Executive under the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly (SHAE) Scheme are determined by a Task Force, which operates under the aegis of my Department. While the scheme has been closed to new applications since 1 August 2008, having been replaced by the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, the HSE is continuing to process applications on hands at that...