Results 921-940 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: An application by Cork County Council for approval to proceed with the project at Fellowship House, Spur Hill, under the Capital Assistance Scheme was received in my Department on 24 February 2009 and has since been examined. Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the Capital Assistance Scheme, it is not possible to approve the project at this time. The application...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The time which the House has set aside for statements on affordable housing gives me an opportunity to outline current issues and developments in this area and how we are responding to the impact on the affordable housing area of far-reaching changes in the housing market and the wider economy. As in most countries, the Irish housing market has experienced a sharp downward shift. This change...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I am glad this debate took place. People have put thought into it and have views. I am impressed by this. If there is a difficulty with the sale of affordable homes today, with 3,700 in stock and 50% of them to be sold off, it is important to state that they are part of the national infrastructure and are available for people to live in. Those 3,700 houses will be used for 3,700 families...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The area of repossessions, which Senator Coffey spoke about, is emotive. When the credit crunch and the difficulties of people losing their jobs became evident, I found when I took over this portfolio that there was a code of practice for lending institutions. This did not cover all institutions and it did not have a statutory basis so I moved on these issues. At the moment all lending...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I am talking about repossessions. This is an emotive issue and there are many cases in the courts. Nevertheless, there are not many housing repossessions and many such cases relate to farm machinery etc. There is a mix of cases. The information available to us is that there is a limited number of housing repossession cases. There is an increase in the number of people who are getting...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Yes. There is much potential to take people off lists through this and I am thinking of ways to advance it further. Very few local authorities have publicly advertised the scheme. The local authorities in Senator Coffey's area in Waterford have made no requests to my Department for the schemes. I do not have the figures here but I am sure that in both those authorities there are many...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I do not want to switch everything to social housing either. I want to leave a certain type of community. Many of the social problems in our big estates arise from mono-tenure occupation. We are regenerating the older estates in places such as Ballymun, Limerick and Sligo. The policies which existed may have seemed correct in the past but they were not the best policies. A mixed...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: As was made clear by the Minister for Finance on Tuesday and in the weeks leading up to the budget, the decisions taken by the Government on measures to help restore balance to the public finances have been extremely difficult. They are necessary and have not been undertaken lightly. It is fair to say that they are among the most difficult economic decisions any Irish Government has faced...

Written Answers — Homeless Services: Homeless Services (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department is responsible for funding accommodation and related costs of adult homeless services and the Health Services Executive is responsible for funding care related costs. Definitive allocations have not yet been issued by my Department for 2009. Housing authorities have been advised, however, of the need to prioritise front line services in the deployment of resources and of the...

Written Answers — Anti-Social Behaviour: Anti-Social Behaviour (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1997 sets out the powers available to housing authorities and, where appropriate, approved housing bodies to deal with anti-social behaviour in their housing stock. The exercise of these powers in individual cases is a matter for the relevant authority or housing body to decide. Under Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Work is continuing on a number of substantive amendments to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 which I hope to table at Committee Stage in the Dail. These include provisions in relation to the tenant purchase of apartments; amendments to provide a statutory basis for the making of homelessness action plans; and provisions for a new affordable homes purchase scheme. I am also...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Information from local authorities indicates that the number of affordable units on hands nationally is now in the region of 3,700 units. Many of these are already in process of sale or will be sold in the coming months. In light of analysis by the Affordable Homes Partnership and engagement with local authorities, a circular has now issued to authorities setting out guidance in relation...

Written Answers — Housing Statistics: Housing Statistics (9 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. Among the areas of activity covered are statistics on: · the delivery of various social and affordable housing supports · housing construction activity · inspections in the private rented sector · house prices and lending activity My Department collates...

Social Welfare Benefits: Motion (23 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Deputies who have contributed to this debate, both last night and today. Members on all sides of the House are genuinely concerned about the impact the cancellation of the Christmas bonus payment will have on all long-term social welfare recipients, especially those persons who are unemployed and pensioners. The Government shares that concern and as the Minister, Deputy Hanafin,...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (23 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: While meetings take place on a regular basis between my Department and local authorities on many aspects of social and affordable housing programmes, including individual housing projects, I assume the Question refers to the biannual Housing Action Plan (HAP) meetings held between my Department and the housing departments of local authorities in 2008. The purpose of these meetings is to...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (23 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (23 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department is committed to the improvement of the insulation and general energy efficiency of local authority houses and to that end has developed a comprehensive national programme for the "greening" of the social housing stock. This programme includes a range of energy efficiency initiatives for which some €50 million has been set aside in 2009. The range of energy efficiency...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (23 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I assume that the Question refers to the new Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. Allocations to individual local authorities under these schemes will be announced following the publication of the Revised Estimates of Public Expenditure 2009.

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (28 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374, 375, 383 and 384 together. My Department's involvement with the new 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. These schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupments available from...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I assume the question refers to the commitment entered into by the Government under the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, which was to achieve 27,000 social housing "starts" over the three year period 2007 to 2009. We have already made considerable progress towards this target in 2007 and 2008 with some 16,000 starts/acquisitions...