Results 2,281-2,300 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (27 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: A total of €51,450,000 has been allocated to the local authorities in Kildare for the supply of social housing in 2008, which is broken down as follows: Local Authority Main Allocation Traveller Accommodation Total € € € Kildare County Council 45,000,000 450,000 45,450,000 Athy Town Council 4,000,000 Nil 4,000,000 Naas Town Council 2,000,000 Nil 2,000,000 Total 51,000,000...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (27 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Under my Department's Capital Funding Schemes for voluntary and co-operative housing, funding of up to 100% of the approved cost is available for the provision of permanent accommodation for low-income families and persons with special housing needs where all proposed tenants have been assessed by the housing authority as being in need of social housing. Approved housing bodies providing...

Public Private Partnerships. (27 May 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 proceed as planned, my Department and the council met to examine the implications of the announcement for the projects concerned. The city council has informed the Department that, while the developer in question has not...

Public Private Partnerships. (27 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I accept that the five communities involved have concerns. The position is that three of them are signed contracts and two are at the tender process. Dublin City Council is in consultation with the regeneration boards in the different areas. My Department is actively in consultation with the council regarding these matters. As I said, a specialist group has been established under the...

Public Private Partnerships. (27 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: As the Deputy knows, the capital announcements have been made to the different local authorities. An allocation of €250 million has been made available to Dublin City Council. The PPP process is only one of a number of options available to Dublin City Council as regards the provision of housing. As I said, the developer in this case has not withdrawn from the projects. He has raised...

Public Private Partnerships. (27 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Obviously, we will take into consideration all of the reports. As the Deputy is aware, the report from the different local authorities is due to be returned to my Department inside the next couple of weeks. There are 17 live PPP projects across the country, most of which are in Dublin. They will offer 1,427 social housing units, 2,131 affordable housing units and 4,105 private units so...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for the Garda Síochána and legislation in this regard is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Landlords are, however, responsible for enforcing the obligations that apply to their tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act prohibits anti-social behaviour in, or in the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Data in relation to the number of social housing completions in each local authority area, including data for 2006 and 2007, are published in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library. These data are also available on my Department's website. Data for the first quarter of 2008 will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: The results of the 2005 statutory assessment of housing need indicated that there were 43,684 households on local authority housing waiting lists. More comprehensive data in relation to that assessment for each housing authority are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Local authorities are currently carrying out the 2008 statutory housing needs assessment, the results of...

Written Answers — Strategy on Homelessness: Strategy on Homelessness (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 555 of 20 May 2008 which set out the most recently published national figures for homelessness. 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. Question No. 286 answered with...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 together. The regeneration of estates is a key element of the Government's housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities and over €120 million has been provided from the Exchequer in 2008 to aid this process. This is in addition to funding from the private sector and from local authorities' own resources. Public Private...

Seanad: Public Private Partnerships (22 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Senator for his good wishes to me on my appointment. I also thank him raising this matter. It is one of particular importance to the communities in the areas concerned which are naturally disappointed with this week's developments and have concerns about the implications for the regeneration of their areas. To put the matter into context, I emphasise that the use of public...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (21 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Under Section 58(3) of the Housing Act, 1966, the making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to the following broad principles laid down by my Department: That the rent payable should be related to income and a smaller proportion of income should be required from low income households; That...

Written Answers — Illegal Encampments: Illegal Encampments (21 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Local authorities have a wide and effective range of powers to deal with unauthorised Traveller encampments. The principal powers of local authorities to deal with the unauthorised placing of temporary dwellings on public property, under legislation coming within the ambit of my Department, are contained in the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948, and Section 10 of the Housing...

Urban Regeneration. (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. The fact that three Deputies are combining to speak on this issue reflects its importance and the very real concerns about the regeneration process in the areas affected. The regeneration of estates is a key element of the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and more than €120 million has been...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: The commencement of the project on foot of the approval issued by my Department on the 8 February 2008 is a matter for the housing authority. I have included in the housing allocations for 2008 a sum of €2.5m to allow the project concerned to be advanced this year.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: The Government is committed to expanding social and affordable housing programmes over the coming years. The Programme for Government provisions build on the Government's housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 (NDP), reflecting also the strong commitment to expand social and affordable housing provision contained in the...

Written Answers — Strategy on Homelessness: Strategy on Homelessness (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: Homelessness involves a complex interplay between personal, economic, social and structural factors. Significant progress has been undertaken to address this issue since the adoption of the Integrated Government Strategy on Homelessness in 2000. This has resulted in an improvement in both the quality and range of services for homeless persons. Homeless fora have been established throughout...

Written Answers — Housing Policy: Housing Policy (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: My Department, through its various mechanisms of policy, legislation and guidance, places priority attention on the promotion of quality in the built environment. Building quality housing is at the core of the Government's housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, which sets out a vision to guide the transformation of the Irish housing sector over the next ten years....

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (20 May 2008)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 to 561, inclusive, together. While continuing to have a particular focus on the Greater Dublin Area, the remit of the Affordable Homes Partnership was extended in June 2007 in relation to a number of affordable housing issues. These include issues in relation to communications on affordable housing, and common approaches to affordable housing application...