Results 881-900 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Rural Housing: Rural Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Following my Department's Call for Proposals under the Remedial Works Programme for 2009, proposals were received from 30 Housing Authorities, including two from Roscommon County Council. So far, 5 projects have been approved, including one at Boyle, Co Roscommon. Approval of additional proposals from among those received will be considered further in light of available funding.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Detailed information in relation to social housing starts and completions, including acquisitions, are published in my Department's Annual and Quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library. Bulletins from 2000 onwards are also available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities. The most recent assessment took place in 2008 and preliminary results are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. The 2008 assessment indicates that, nationally, some 40% of households awaiting social housing have been waiting for between 1 to 3 years, with 31% waiting for less...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 867 and 876 together. Information to end September 2008 on the numbers of shared ownership transactions in each local authority area is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Information is also published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are also available on the website and in the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Aggregate details of activity under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2007, including information on the financial contributions received by local authorities, are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Details in relation to individual developments or the housing purposes to which Part V financial contributions have been applied are not collected by my Department.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Detailed information in relation to housing output, including local authority housing output, is published in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library. Bulletins from 2000 onwards are also available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Drogheda Borough Council's proposed project at the Mell has been the subject of ongoing discussion with my Department. My Department is concerned that the proposal, as currently framed, does not meet the objectives of the Government's policy document Delivering Homes Sustaining Communities and this has been expressed to the Borough Council, most recently at the Spring Housing Action Plan...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 879, 885 and 886 together. I am conscious of the need for local authorities to be able to deploy available resources as early as possible in order to maximise their impact for households availing of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. Therefore, local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations in...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (24 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. In the case of the old Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes, these were funded by 67% recoupment available from my Department together with a 33% contribution...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2009)

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

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (25 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As part of a national programme for the "greening" of the social housing stock, a range of energy efficiency initiatives are being advanced, including a programme of Towards Carbon Neutral demonstration projects, insulation retrofitting projects that will inform future schemes, and a programme to improve the energy rating of dwellings due to be re-let and to advance overall energy efficiency...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Following my Department's Call for Proposals under the Remedial Works Programme for 2009, I approved five projects for assistance on 30 January 2009, including one at Boyle, Co. Roscommon, the initial projected cost of which was €691,000. My Department has since written to Boyle Town Council requesting, inter alia, a detailed cost plan and details of how anticipated revenue from the sale of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 373, 374, 384 and 385 together. My Department's involvement with the voluntary and co-operative housing schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of the schemes, and the certification that projects comply with the terms and conditions of the funding schemes, are the responsibility of the local...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I have no function in these matters as the operation of tenancy registration is the responsibility of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2004. Nevertheless, it should be noted that since its establishment, the Board has achieved considerable success in the registration of tenancies and I understand...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Home Choice Loan was introduced to facilitate, rather than incentivise first-time buyers who have decided to purchase a house at this time. Since being announced in October 2008, over 1,400 prospective purchasers have formally registered interest on the dedicated Home Choice website (www.homechoiceloan.ie) and these have been contacted in recent weeks to advise that applications are now...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I have recently announced my intention to review aspects of the Residential Tenancies Acts with a view to considering the scope for further improvements to the legislative framework within which the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) operates, which would support the achievement of additional operational efficiencies by the Board in the delivery of its functions. My Department is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Formal allocations for the national remedial works programme are not usually made until April in any given year. However, in January 2009, to facilitate local authorities in planning for and managing projects, provisional allocations totalling €52 million were notified to authorities. Since then, my Department has held Housing Action Plan meetings with all Housing Authorities during which...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: During March my Department held Housing Action Plan meetings with all housing authorities. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the direction and content of authorities' proposed housing investment programmes and particularly to consider the prioritisation of projects and the reconfiguration of the Social Housing Investment Programme as a whole, so that it can be sustained and...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Section 22.

Urban Regeneration Schemes. (1 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank Deputy Shortall for raising this important housing issue. It is nearly 11 years since the master plan for a new Ballymun was published and the regeneration process began. Since then, the Government has demonstrated strong commitment to the Ballymun Regeneration Project with over €580 million in Exchequer funding devoted to it to date. It is worth reminding ourselves of the...