Results 2,081-2,100 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: My Department has no function regarding either the regulation of estate agents or the setting of advertising standards. The Residential Tenancies Act 2004, under which the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established, sets out a framework for the governance of the landlord-tenant relationship, including the adjudication of disputes, and does not cover landlord behaviour prior to...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Homeless Agency, in partnership with the providers of voluntary homeless services, has developed a holistic needs assessment and care plan for homeless persons, the aim of which is to provide an improved service response to the needs of individual homeless service users. Completion of the holistic needs assessment is voluntary and is therefore not a requirement for any person to gain...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: Housing authorities conduct their triennial housing needs assessment in accordance with Section 9 of the Housing Act 1988. Prior to any assessment being carried out the Department issues guidance to housing authorities to ensure a consistent assessment system. It is a matter for individual authorities, in accordance with legislation and having regard to guidance issued by my Department, to...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Sep 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, rather than existing local authority tenants. Some 183 rent supplement households in the county in question had transferred into RAS by the end of August 2008. A further 299 households have been accommodated in other forms of...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1403 and 1479 together. My Department has no function in relation to the detailed practices and procedures adopted by the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) in relation to record keeping and communications with landlords. The PRTB is an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and may be contacted at the Board's...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) commenced operations in September, 2004 and receives funding from my Department by way of annual grant. In addition, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has made payments for the benefit of the PRTB, primarily for accommodation overheads, and some fixed assets have also been transferred to the PRTB by my Department. The accumulated total up to 30...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: In 2008, Tralee Town Council received an allocation of €10.5 million to support its social housing capital programme, with an additional allocation of €1 million to facilitate the regeneration of the Mitchels/Boherbee area of the town. It is not possible at this stage to consider an increase in the 2008 allocation given the overall demands on available resources nationally.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1408 and 1464 together. I can confirm that my Department has received a request for a supplementary allocation from Westmeath County Council in respect of the Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes and the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Schemes. As previously indicated to local authorities, requests for...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: My Department has received correspondence in relation to this case. The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability, including the processing of individual applications, is a matter for individual local authorities, in line with conditions set down in the Housing (Adaption Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability) Regulations 2007. The...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme (SHAE), administered by the Health Service Executive (HSE), has been discontinued with effect from 1 August, 2008. The scheme has been replaced by a new Housing Aid for Older People Scheme which was introduced in November 2007 and is being administered by the Local Authorities. Applications submitted under the SHAE prior to 1 August 2008 will...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: Since the announcement in May 2008 that a number of housing regeneration Public-Private Partnership projects would not be proceeding as planned, my Department has worked closely with Dublin City Council to ensure that all possible avenues for moving these projects forward are examined, particularly those estates which still have residents in situ. In relation to those specific estates,...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: My Department's involvement in the voluntary housing scheme relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of the scheme, and the certification that particular projects comply with the terms of the scheme, are the responsibility of the local authority, in this instance Wicklow County Council. On 4 June 2008, at the request of Wicklow County...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Sep 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 the provision of social and affordable housing contained in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. The impact of the record levels of investment this Government is committing to these housing programmes is already...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: I have recently provided all housing authorities, including Town Councils with an indication of the general level of Exchequer funding that will be available over the next three years for the main housing investment programmes. My Department will meet with each housing authority to discuss their plans as part of the Housing Action Plan review process, which is due to commence in early...

Written Answers — Homelessness Strategy: Homelessness Strategy (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: Significant progress has been made to address homelessness since the adoption of the Integrated Government Strategy on Homelessness in 2000 and the Homeless Preventative Strategy in 2002, as demonstrated in the Independent Review of the Implementation of Homeless Strategies carried out by Fitzpatrick Associates in 2006. The progress achieved has included an improvement in both the quality...

Written Answers — Housing Applications: Housing Applications (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: An application for post-tender approval in respect of this project, costing an estimated €4 million, was received in my Department on 24 July, 2008. This is being examined at present and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: Section 39 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 sets out the circumstances in which family members of a tenant who has died may succeed to a tenancy. In the event that a landlord seeks, subject to the rights of the tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the terms of the availability agreement with the housing authority, to withdraw from the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS),...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, which were introduced in November 2007 in place of the Essential Repairs and Disabled Person's Grant Schemes, is a matter for individual local authorities. My Department made a combined capital allocation of €1,678,170 to Roscommon County Council in May 2008, for the operation of the...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Scheme, and the Housing Aid for Older People schemes were introduced following my Department's review of the Disabled Persons, Essential Repairs and Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Grant Schemes. One of the primary aims of the review was to ensure that the available resources are targeted to those in most need...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (24 Sep 2008)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1454 to 1458, inclusive, together. The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, which were introduced in November 2007 in place of the Essential Repairs and Disabled Person's Grant Schemes, is a matter for individual local authorities. The revised schemes — the Housing Adaptation Grant for People...