Results 141-160 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (5 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: The revised suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for older people and people with a disability introduced in November 2007 provide a more targeted and integrated response to the housing needs of older people and people with a disability, while ensuring that those households in greatest need benefit from the available funding. Under the new schemes eligibility for grant aid is determined on the...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 895 and 896 together. Expenditure on the provision of social housing through the local authority housing programme, the voluntary and co-operative housing programme and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) last year amounted to some â¬1.242 billion. Funding provided for these programmes has been increased again in 2008, with some â¬1.369 billion available....
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department provides direct funding to local authorities for the provision of affordable housing under the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme through the subsidisation of the site costs. A subsidy is available to local authorities to make houses affordable by covering all or part of the cost of the site so that the selling price of the unit is within the income range of the target group. To...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Information on affordable housing activity up to the end of 2007 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 available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department is collating data on output for the first quarter of 2008 which will be published in the near future. Under the social...
- Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: The pilot central heating scheme, which has been undertaken by my Department in association with Dublin City Council, has provided for the installation of central heating systems, associated insulation works and energy advice, to 170 private households occupied by older people in Ballyfermot, Whitehall and Crumlin. The pilot scheme has operated under the aegis of the Housing Aid for Older...
- Written Answers — Regeneration Schemes: Regeneration Schemes (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department remains committed to the regeneration of Southill, Moyross, St. Mary's Park, and adjacent areas in the Limerick City Area. In 2007 the Department provided â¬1.13 million to support the establishment of the Northside and Southside Regeneration Agencies, for preliminary regeneration works, and to provide support for some social inclusion activities. A further â¬15 million has...
- Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Details of the number of homeless households in each local authority area are published in the Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. The most recent published figures relate to the position at March 2005. The latest homeless counts took place in March 2008 and results will be published in due...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Local authorities have been advised to conclude Part V agreements at the earliest possible stage to ensure the successful delivery of social and affordable housing. In considering whether to enter into an agreement on an alternative to the transfer of a percentage of land which is the subject of the planning permission, local authorities must consider, inter alia, whether the agreement will...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: In 2007, 2,909 applications were received by housing authorities from tenants wishing to purchase their homes under a tenant purchase scheme. 2,436 of these sales were approved, with 1,231 sales completed by end 2007. Detailed information on the number of sales through tenant purchase by housing authorities since 1994 is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie and in my...
- Written Answers — Regeneration Schemes: Regeneration Schemes (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Following the announcement by Dublin City Council on Monday, 19 May 2008, that a number of regeneration projects being carried out through PPP arrangements would not now be proceeding as planned, my Department and the Council have met on a number of occasions to examine the implications of the announcement for the projects concerned. The City Council has informed my Department that, while the...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Good progress is being made in implementing the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and to date authorities have accommodated over 13,000 cases â 3,700 to private rented sector accommodation, 3,000 within the voluntary & co-operative sector and an additional 6,300 through other social housing options. The overall target for the numbers of households transferring from Rent Supplement to RAS...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department commissioned a report to identify measures that would assist in responding to the targets set for affordable housing in Towards 2016. The report "Increasing Affordable Housing Supply" was prepared by consultants for the Affordable Homes Partnership as part of their role in providing services to the Minister and local authorities in relation to affordable housing. One of the...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 640 of 17 April 2008. The Valuer's Report on this project was received by my Department on 16 June 2008 and is currently being considered.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: No such legal advice has been provided to my Department in respect of the Lisbon Treaty.
- Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: The refurbishment of a number of rural cottages in the Newport area of County Mayo is included under the County Council's approved rural refurbishment programme for the Westport area. This programme received approval from my Department in October 2006, and a revised budget cost was agreed in April 2007. This programme is to be jointly funded from the Council's own resources and by the...
- Written Answers — Regeneration Schemes: Regeneration Schemes (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department has reviewed the submission from Dublin City Council and issued approval in principle in February 2007 for its inclusion in the City Council's PPP Regeneration Programme. In order to progress the project, however, my Department has indicated that, in line with Capital Appraisal Guidelines, a full cost-benefit analysis of the regeneration options presented be undertaken by the...
- Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: The Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 (NDP) reflect the strong commitment to expand social and affordable housing provision contained in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. The NDP provides the resources â some â¬18 billion in total â which will support increased output from social and...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: Information on affordable housing activity up to the end of 2007 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 available in the Oireachtas Library.
- Written Answers — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department provided capital funding in excess of â¬172 million to local authorities in respect of their Traveller Accommodation Programmes over the five year period, 2003 to 2007. Details of the amount recouped to each local authority are set out in the table below. Current funding of over â¬29 million was also provided to local authorities over the same period to meet the cost of...
- Written Answers — Estate Management: Estate Management (17 Jun 2008)
Michael Finneran: My Department has no function in relation to the running of property 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. Determination of management charges...