Results 81-100 of 176 for long speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Rental Accommodation Scheme: Rental Accommodation Scheme (27 Jan 2009)

Michael Finneran: Since the commencement of transfers in September 2005, the pace of delivery of RAS has steadily increased. By the end of 2008, over 18,000 households with long term housing need had transferred from rent supplement — over 9,400 directly under RAS in private rented or voluntary accommodation and the remainder using other social housing options. In 2008 alone, over 6,900 households have...

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

Michael Finneran: ...is being provided for the broad range of social housing programmes this year, with €760 million of this earmarked for the main local authority housing programme, including €20 million for long-term leasing arrangements. To ensure that the Social Housing Investment Programme is delivered in a coherent and co-ordinated manner housing authorities are required to prepare multi-annual...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (6 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...Department has no function in the transfer of individual cases. The qualifying criteria for RAS are that a household must be in receipt of rent supplement, usually for 18 months or more and have a long term housing need. Households in part-time employment are not precluded from the scheme.

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (11 Dec 2008)

Michael Finneran: ...changes in administrative practices, which are now being implemented, to major recommendations that relate to the social and economic fundamentals of the regeneration programme over the medium to long term. My Department is actively working with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd and the local authorities involved to ensure that the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General are fully...

Written Answers — Rental Accommodation Scheme: Rental Accommodation Scheme (25 Nov 2010)

Michael Finneran: ...under other social housing options. The current qualifying criteria for RAS are that a household must be in receipt of rent supplement, in general for a period of 18 months or more, and have a long term housing need. RAS tenants are charged rents based on a housing authority's differential rent scheme and the rent payable is calculated mainly by reference to household income. The...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (2 Dec 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is designed to cater for the accommodation needs of persons in receipt of rent supplement who have a long-term housing need. As indicated in the table which follows, in the period to end-October 2008, over 16,400 households eligible for the scheme were transferred from rent supplement to accommodation provided by local authorities, either to RAS directly...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...referred to the linchpin. In the planning process, it is practical to adhere to strategic decisions by the Government. Local authority plans receive many inputs that are no one else's business as long as the regional planning guidelines implement Government policy. The consultation process will occur. Every local authority will hold a meeting or several meetings to discuss the draft...

Social and Affordable Housing. (7 May 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...houses tomorrow morning, who would provide them other than builders? This year, builders will provide the houses my Department has supplied €1.2 billion to construct and acquire. This is the long and the short of it. There is no bail out. My job is to try to get as many houses as possible for the 55,000 people on our housing lists. Were I to take the road mentioned by the Deputy, I...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee Stage (Resumed). (29 Jan 2011)

Michael Finneran: ...issues involved. It must be noted that what we are talking about here is a means of last resort. We are talking about people who have evaded or attempted to evade to pay their taxes over a long period. They have adequate income but they have attempted to evade paying their taxes. That is the purpose of this measure. I wish to make a number of other points, in particular the one raised...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (1 Apr 2010)

Michael Finneran: ...from this work, I announced, on 29 March 2010, an enhanced package of measures, building on existing schemes, to help local authorities to accelerate progress towards their targets for providing long-term housing for homeless people. A key element is the allocation of €20 million in capital funding specifically for the procurement of accommodation by approved housing bodies for homeless...

Written Answers — Departmental Statistics: Departmental Statistics (10 Jul 2008)

Michael Finneran: ...up to 2015, and my Department's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes Sustaining Communities, was predicated on demand of that order of magnitude. While my Department does not engage in long term forecasts of housing supply, it commissions an annual independent review and outlook report on the construction industry and, as part of this, an estimate of housing output in the following...

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

Michael Finneran: ...co-operative housing bodies. As part of a further restructuring of the SHIP, I recently announced new arrangements for the delivery of social housing under which housing authorities may enter into long-term leases of private dwellings as a means of meeting housing need. The new leasing initiative, under which authorities will procure properties on long term leases of 10 to 20 years, is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: ...provide a reasonable mix of accommodation solutions for the different kinds of households already on waiting lists and to plan their future programmes, including the Rental Accommodation Scheme and long term leasing, taking account of the estimated size and type of households likely to be seeking housing in the future in their functional area.

Macroeconomic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (Resumed) (28 Oct 2010)

Michael Finneran: ...reform programme is a restructuring of investment in social housing away from bricks and mortar solutions towards a more flexible system, where measures such as the rental accommodation scheme and long-term leasing play an increasingly prominent role in meeting social housing need. Over time this will have a number of major implications. Such a system will be based on the fundamental...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (10 Feb 2010)

Michael Finneran: He made a long contribution on the matter and he explained the difficulties that would arise in implementing the regulations if there was an exemption. That was done following advice and due consideration. The Bill is about the welfare of dogs and the amendment deals with hunt clubs. Many issues have been raised that are not related to the amendment. Registers and the use of names and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (27 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: ...1.66 billion in funding provided for housing in the 2009 Estimates will allow us to maintain strong momentum towards meeting our commitments in the Towards 2016 social partnership agreement and our longer-term goals under the NDP. In particular, progress will be underpinned by the continued roll-out of the Rental Accommodation Scheme and new initiatives including the sourcing of...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Dec 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...for the main local authority programme has been adjusted downwards for 2010, I anticipate that, through more flexible market based delivery mechanisms such as the rental accommodation scheme and long term leasing, as well as the significant increase in funding available under the capital assistance scheme in 2010, delivery across the range of social housing measures next year will be of...

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

Michael Finneran: ...aim will be to maximise capacity to meet housing needs through the suite of social housing supply options available to individual housing authorities, including through the recently announced long-term leasing initiative.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (11 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...and the voluntary and co-operative housing programmes in 2009, and, having regard to the availability of suitable housing in the current housing market, including through the recently announced long-term leasing initiative, good progress will be made this year in meeting social housing needs.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: ...transferred since the commencement of the scheme in 2005. The qualifying criteria for RAS are that a household must be in receipt of rent supplement, usually for 18 months or more and have a long term housing need. Households in part-time employment or households not in receipt of the maximum level of rent supplement are not precluded from the scheme. It is not national policy that such...