Results 1,481-1,500 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendment No. 2 proposes the deletion of the definition of "core strategy". However, the evidence-based core strategy is a cornerstone of these provisions and ensures a sound development plan, key to ensuring good planning at local level and a central plank of zoning reform. Decisions taken at the development plan stage affect all other planning decisions. Therefore, the amendment is not...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendment No. 3 provides for a definition of "flood risk assessment". Put simply, it is a study to assess and, if appropriate, manage a flood risk taking into account relevant issues such as current and potential future land use and development, and possible changes in climate. The First Schedule to the principal Act is to be amended to provide for the inclusion in the development plans of...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendments Nos. 4 and 8 propose to delete the word "urban" to clarify the settlement hierarchy requirement for the same are all encompassing to include all levels of settlement in rural areas. Amendment No. 14 is a consequential amendment to the same reference.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendment No. 9 extends the requirement of the settlement hierarchy to provide details of aggregate projected population growth of villages and small towns with a population of under 1,500 persons and open countryside outside of villages and towns. These figures would be derived by each city and county council from within the regional planning guideline population targets. Amendments Nos....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: The councils will decide on the figures. They will not take figures willy-nilly from anywhere, including the CSO. It is a matter for the councils whether they have a local area plan. There is no attempt in the legislation to impose area plans on them. This is an opportunity for councils to bring in area plans but there is no legal requirement obliging them to do so.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: There is no requirement on any local authority, its members or its executive to bring in an area plan or a local plan up to a population base of 5,000. We all know that in almost every county, councillors and the officials have moved in regard to those small villages. Villages with populations of 200 or 300 have area plans. There is still that entitlement. They will have the same...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I do not have the exact wording used by the Minister to hand but in this context, he mentioned the targets for gateway and hub towns. As I said, they are simply targets. Local authorities make their plans for different areas and a target for the main town in County Mayo, County Westmeath or County Sligo is simply that. That is what the Minister said.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendment No. 15 proposes to delete the proposed amendment in the published Bill, which requires that in seeking initial views from the public on strategic issues to inform the initial preparation and drafting of the draft development plan, the planning authority can specify that it will not consider submissions or proposals related to the zonings of specific land. Planning authorities must...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: It is my understanding that an advertisement will be placed in the public press, indicating that the issue papers are available from the local authority. I am sure it will appear on the website as well. Those who have an interest can get access to the issue papers. Senator White has picked up on the same message we are trying to get across, namely, that there is public engagement from the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: This proposes to provide for the notification of the Minister, the board and the prescribed bodies at the draft amendment stage of the development plan. This is to rectify the anomaly that while the Minister, the board and the prescribed bodies are provided for as statutory consultees in the making of a draft development plan, it is only implicit thereafter that these should be consulted at...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendments Nos. 18 and 24 are intrinsically linked to the issue of a two thirds majority as opposed to a simple majority. I will re-examine this matter in consultation with the parliamentary draftsman's office. I will not give a definite position on it but I am prepared to examine it.

Seanad: Hospital Services (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader of the House, Senator Cassidy and Senator Glynn. I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar provides an extensive range of quality-driven acute services to the population of Dublin, the midlands and, in particular, to people in...

Seanad: Mental Health Services (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank Senator Corrigan for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to update the House on the developments within the national forensic mental health service. At the outset I should explain that statistics are not available regarding the number of people with an intellectual disability or Asperger's syndrome who are at present in prison or awaiting trial. As the Senator...

Seanad: Mental Health Services (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I fully understand the comments of the Senator who has worked in the service. I appreciate that not everybody with an intellectual disability has a mental illness. I will bring back to the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, the comments she made on that matter and the questions she raised. Perhaps he might refer back to her on the issue.

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (19 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank Senator Donohoe for raising this important issue. The Government's commitment to social housing supports the development of sustainable communities in existing local authority estates through various improvement and regeneration initiatives. Regeneration is focused on addressing social, educational and economic disadvantage experienced in some of the most challenging areas of the...

Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: More than 1,400 prospective purchasers have formally registered interest on the dedicated home choice loan website and, to date, 44 applications have been made. Of these applications, 27 have been declined and four approved, with two loans now drawn down. Three applications have been withdrawn, while a decision is pending on ten applications, on which further information has been sought...

Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: While I appreciate the points made by the Deputy, I remind him that I also introduced the incremental purchase scheme. I do not intend to close down the scheme and, as I noted, I intend to extend it as and from 1 January 2010 to the second-hand house market. The scheme is in place with no incentive. The most important reason for its existence is to support people who wish to buy a house...

Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: It is well recognised that the Government has entered into discussions with the financial institutions. The Deputy will acknowledge that capital injections have been made into the main banks.

Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: There is ongoing contact and have been public statements from the Taoiseach and others on the matter. My officials and I have regular meetings with the Irish Banking Federation and my decision to extend the loans scheme to second-hand houses is based on its data.

Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: To date, almost 1,600 units, across 20 housing authority areas, have been approved by my Department under the social housing leasing initiative. This comprises 1,281 properties in respect of which full funding approval has issued and a further 316 units in respect of which provisional approval has issued. A number of other proposals are also under consideration by my Department. I will...