Results 1,841-1,860 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: A couple of points were raised, to which I have not yet responded, including the matter of consultation. In response to a notice placed in the national press, the working group received 27 submissions from a variety of animal welfare and veterinary bodies, local authorities and private individuals. A total of 652 submissions were received by my Department following the release of the report...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: The annual charge applies to a dog breeding establishment. That is what it involves.

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: The first person mentioned in section 16 is a veterinary practitioner and there is a follow-on from that. That has been the experience to date in local authorities. To respond to the question that there may be a challenge, I said earlier that I am not aware of any instance in this jurisdiction where the activities of any person used by local authorities has been successfully challenged or...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: There were a couple of points. There is an opportunity for the local authority to second or contract the services of a body. That is the position in many local authorities currently under the Control of Dogs Act and some of these were outlined by Senator Boyle. That is an existing practice. With regard to involvement of the local authority, it is worth mentioning that there has been no...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: I do not propose to accept this amendment. Section 19 provides for a closure notice to be served on an establishment if there is a serious or immediate threat to public health or animal welfare. Section 19(2)() enables a local authority to require an operator to rehouse all dogs. In addition, it provides that such removal be at the operator's expense. Non-compliance shall be an offence....

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: The proposed amendment is unnecessary as section 17(2) does not limit the number of other authorised persons that can accompany an authorised officer in performing his or her functions. Furthermore, the legal advice is that it is not necessary that it be stipulated in the section that such persons may take equipment with them. I do not, therefore, propose to accept the amendment. Question...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: The effect of the proposed amendment, while well intentioned, might be too draconian. The Bill has been carefully drafted to provide for an escalation of measures. It is not envisaged at this point that non-compliance with an improvement notice would constitute an offence. Rather, it would be a matter for the local authority to move towards enforcement of the notice by making an...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: An improvement notice is issued by a local authority. A balance has been struck. A dog breeding establishment can appeal the decision to the District Court. Then there is the threat of removal from the register. It is intended that each local authority would build up a relationship with dog breeding associations. In most cases they are responsible bodies. The ultimate sanction of the...

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: It is not an order of the District Court, it is an order of the local authority.

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: The improvement notice is a notice from the local authority, it is not a notice from the District Court. At that stage no decision of the District Court has been taken.

Seanad: Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: I appreciate the point being made by the Senator but I do not wish to see failure to comply with an improvement notice turned into an offence. It is not an offence. The information I have outlined has been provided by the Parliamentary Counsel but I will ask them to have a second look at it.

Seanad: Community Development. (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: ): I am taking this Adjournment Matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Curran. I thank the Senator for raising this issue and welcome the opportunity to update the Seanad on the current position on the new local and community development programme. As Members will be aware, the Department of Community, Rural and...

Seanad: Community Development. (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: Okay.

Seanad: Health Services (9 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: I will be taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The European Union has been developing an action framework in the field of rare diseases. Ireland has supported the proposals in this area which concluded with a Council recommendation in June 2009. The key elements are that member states, including Ireland, develop...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (10 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: From a social housing perspective, I see clear potential for real and meaningful synergies between the work of the National Asset Management Agency in ensuring the stability of the financial system and the role of my Department in responding to social housing need. For some time now the social housing investment programme has been undergoing a significant restructuring to shift the focus...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (11 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department is aware of the concerns of consumers of housing services in current market conditions, including in regard to unfinished or partially completed residential developments. The Department is working with other stakeholders to develop a fuller picture of the scale of these difficulties in terms of mapping such developments on a county by county basis, setting out the range of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (23 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: Under the terms of the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, grants of up to €10,500 are available for the carrying out of necessary repairs or improvements to a house. The types of works allowable under the scheme can be varied and may include re-wiring or any other repair or improvement works which, in the opinion of the local authority, are considered necessary to make the house habitable...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department's Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) provides funding to approved housing bodies of up to 100% of the approved costs of accommodation for older people, the homeless, persons with special needs, returning emigrants and victims of domestic violence. My Department's involvement with the scheme relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed...

Written Answers — National Asset Management Agency: National Asset Management Agency (23 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department has provided the National Asset Management Agency with: · Extracts from the draft Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022 for the regions. These draft guidelines outline the population targets for the regions, disaggregated into county and gateway city and town figures, and include estimates of the expected housing land requirements on the basis of these population targets; ·...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (23 Mar 2010)

Michael Finneran: A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities in accordance with the terms of the Housing Act 1988. The last assessment took place in 2008 and indicated that there were 56,249 households in need of social housing support. Further information regarding the assessment, including a breakdown of housing need figures by housing authority, is...