Results 381-400 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: Information in relation to vacant local authority houses is a Local Authority Service Indicator and reports on these indicators are available on the Local Government Management Services Board's website www.lgmsb.ie. The latest available figures relate to 2008. The 2008 data show a significant improvement (i.e. decrease) in the level of local authority housing stock that is vacant. The 2007...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department has no record of an application for funding from Galway County Council in respect of this proposal.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department's voluntary and co-operative housing programme is supported through two funding schemes, the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS). In the case of the CAS, which provides capital funding to approved housing bodies for the provision of accommodation for people with specific categories of need including the homeless, older people and...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: Details of payments to local authorities under my Department's Rural Water Programme in respect of the group scheme sector from 2007 to 2009 and the allocations for 2010 are set out in the following table. Payments in respect of Group Schemes in 2007€ Payments in respect of Group Schemes in 2009€ Allocations in respect of Group Schemes in 2010€ Carlow 5,707,278.59 3,329,568.57...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: To the end of quarter 1 2010, my Department has received some 112 applications, comprising 2,801 units, under the Social Housing Leasing Initiative. Of these, 71 applications have been given approval, 25 are under consideration, 12 have been placed on hold and a further 4 refused. In Kerry, 1 application has been given approval with a further application under consideration. Applications have...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: Eligibility generally for the affordable housing schemes is determined on the basis that applicants are in need of housing and cannot afford to purchase a house on the open market. In the case of the Shared Ownership and 1999 affordable housing scheme, single applicants are eligible where their income in the previous tax year was €40,000 or under. In the case of a two income household, the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 to 429, inclusive, together. With regard to social housing maintenance issues generally, under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966 the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock is a matter for individual authorities, in this case Dublin City Council. Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (1 Jun 2010)

Michael Finneran: My Department's involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources...

Health Services (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, to reaffirm the Government's commitment to the principles underpinning the establishment of the Health Service Executive as a single, national authority with responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services. While I...

Hospital Services (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: I take this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The Deputy's question assumes that there is to be a withdrawal of surgical services at Mullingar hospital. The Minister has been advised by the HSE that at present there are no plans to relocate surgical services from Mullingar hospital to Tullamore hospital. Decisions on the allocation...

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills. I wish to thank the Deputy for giving me this opportunity to outline the position of the Department of Education and Skills in relation to changes announced in the budget in relation to student maintenance grants for those also availing of the back to education allowance...

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: I am responding on behalf of the Minister-----

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: The higher education grant scheme is administered by local authorities. There are three schemes administered by the vocational education committees. Under the terms of the maintenance grant schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The back to...

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: Students progressing to a new course, with effect from the 2010-11 academic year, will no longer be eligible for student maintenance grants in addition to back-to-education allowance or VTOS support, but can apply for assistance under the student grant schemes towards the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable.

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: Access courses are generally organised by individual institutions and are not approved courses under the terms and conditions of the student grant schemes. The Higher Education Authority recently estimated the number of students currently on full-time Access courses at some 369. As these are not approved courses, students on Access courses in the 2009-10 academic year would not be in receipt...

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: -----would not be eligible to hold the back-to-education allowance and a student maintenance grant for the 2010-11 academic year onwards. Apart from the maintenance grants schemes and the free fees initiative, financial support is also available to students in approved third level institutions through the student assistance fund. The objective of the fund is to assist students in a sensitive...

Adult Education (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: -----who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. Some €5 million is available through this fund, which is disbursed at college level. Information on the fund is available from the Access officer at a candidate's college. Regarding the recent presentation made at the Joint Committee on Education and Science by Access students,...

Written Answers — Housing Adaptation Grants: Housing Adaptation Grants (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 40 together. On foot of a Government Decision, taken in February 2006, to transfer the administration of the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme (SHAE) from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the local authority sector, a revised suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability was implemented on 1 November,...

Written Answers — Housing Adaptation Grants: Housing Adaptation Grants (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: To comprehensively assess the overall level of demand for grant assistance under the suite of Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements for 2010 by 22 January, with a view to determining the allocations for this year as soon as possible after the publication of the 2010 Revised...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (27 May 2010)

Michael Finneran: The issue of re-housing tenants where a lease expires is not a new one. Under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), which has been in place since 2004, contracts are usually for a period of 4 years. The experience to date, under the RAS, is that the vast majority of contracts are renewed at the end of the contract period and in current market conditions the new rent agreed is generally lower...