Results 861-880 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendments Nos. 21 and 27 propose to delete the obligation to publish notice of any further minor modifications to proposed material amendments and any further minor modifications to proposed variations, as long as they are minor in nature and would not warrant further consultation.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: A national strategy is required for the country. We have a national spatial strategy. It is appropriate to put in place regional planning guidelines. We should remember that they are only guidelines. The Bill does not change in any way the powers of local authorities. The central point is to achieve consistency between national and regional guidelines and what is adopted in the plan. It...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I welcome the discussion, which has been positive, but it is important that I clarify a number of matters raised. The staffing and resourcing of regional authorities is negotiated between the directors in the regional authorities and the individual county managers on the councils. That is the process, and I am confident that process will continue. On the matter of regional authorities and...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I am not changing the powers of regional authorities. There is no provision in the Bill to do this. Local development plans must take into consideration regional planning guidelines. As for the national spatial strategy, there was extensive national consultation. Even small areas had an input into it. It was a very long process. I do not know if there is a single stakeholder in the...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together. The number of households transferring from Rent Supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has increased year on year since RAS commenced in 2005. At the end of October 2009, a total of 23,469 households had been accommodated under the scheme. This included 6,915 households in 2008, some 38% ahead of the 5,000 target set, and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 91 together. Meeting social housing need remains a high priority for the Government. While ensuring that the full range of needs continues to be met, the scale and composition of the public housing programme in the years ahead will be dependent on a number of factors, including the level of available funding and the evolution of the housing market...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Information in relation to the amounts allocated in capital grants to each local authority for social housing purposes is available in a Housing Allocations 2009 spreadsheet on my Department's website, via the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPu blications/HousingStatistics/. Taking account of the spend to date, claims currently being processed and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 144 of 14 October 2009, which outlines the current position in regard to this matter.

Written Answers — Residential Tenancies Act: Residential Tenancies Act (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Earlier this year, I announced my intention to review the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 under which the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) operates. The purpose of this review is to consider whether the Act best supports the PRTB's key functions and whether legislative amendments would support either the achievement of additional operational efficiencies by the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: Amendment of the Data Protection legislation to allow publication of the sale price of property is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The relevant Government Departments and agencies will be working in the coming months with a view to the development, as soon as possible, of the new house price database.

Written Answers — Private Residential Tenancies Board: Private Residential Tenancies Board (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department has no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), which is an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The PRTB may be contacted at its offices at O'Connell Bridge House, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or by telephone or email. Contact details are available on the Board's website at www.prtb.ie. The...

Written Answers — Local Authority Expenditure: Local Authority Expenditure (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: The primary focus in negotiating leasing costs is the delivery of value for money. In that context, it is expected that authorities would be able to secure lease costs of at least 20% below current market rent. In general, each lease agreement entered into will also be subject to periodic rent reviews. Where reviews are provided for, my Department has advised authorities that reviews should...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No.47 on today's order paper.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department has recently extended the Social Housing Leasing Initiative to allow for the direct provision of dwellings by approved housing bodies. The extension of the leasing arrangements to the voluntary and co-operative housing sector is designed further to broaden the sources of supply and accelerate delivery under the initiative. The new arrangements put in place mean that approved...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: The objective of achieving sustainable communities as set out in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, is a key priority for my Department. The current market conditions relating to house purchase generally have inevitably impacted on the sale of affordable housing, leaving unsold affordable accommodation vacant. My Department has taken a number...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427, 428 and 451 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 135 of 14 October 2009, which set out the most recent information available on the extent of homelessness in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, based on the March 2008 Counted In survey, with comparative data at 2005 for Dublin, the only location in which the survey was conducted prior to 2008....

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Question Nos. 447 and 448 together. Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under my Department's funding schemes for voluntary and co-operative housing, I am not in a position to approve funding for these proposals at this time. The funding applications will be considered in the light of, inter alia, the estimates provision for new projects in 2010 and the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department issued a Certificate of Compliance under the terms of the Rural Renewal Scheme in respect of the property concerned on 2 July, 2008. Issues relating to tax benefits under the scheme are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners.

Written Answers — Fire Services: Fire Services (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: The provision of a fire service, including equipment and personnel, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981. Issues relating to the recruitment and employment conditions of fire fighters are matters for the local authority under the Local Government Act 2001. The Department supports local fire authorities through the setting...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Nov 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 61 on today's Order Paper.