Results 881-900 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran
- Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: No funding restrictions have been placed on local authority lending for house purchase. Annual allocations to local authorities for House Purchase and House Improvement lending totalling almost â¬31m were notified to local authorities in July, an increase of â¬9m (or 40%) on the 2008 allocation of almost â¬22m. It is important to note that these allocations represent borrowings ceilings...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: To date, almost 1,600 units, across 20 housing authority areas, have been approved by my Department under the social housing leasing initiative. This comprises 1,281 properties in respect of which full funding approval has issued and a further 316 units in respect of which provisional approval has issued. A number of other proposals are also under consideration by my Department. I will...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: Yes.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: We expect the cost to increase because we will deal more with the private market. However, a cost is associated with affordable housing because there are loan costs for each local authority. I accept the figure is possibly not the market rent applicable to private properties at this time.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: The rental figures run from approximately â¬550 per month - the maximum - to â¬299; therefore, there is a variation. Local authorities have an entitlement to a review, both upwards and downwards. We indicated to them that they should look for a 20% reduction in the current market because we are leasing multiple units. It is very important that I achieve the best possible value for the...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: We indicated to local authorities that they should seek a rent review which could be either upwards or downwards. That is only appropriate and what we would expect. The matter of affordability is of benefit to the taxpayer at this time, as the amount we are paying covers loan repayments. We are putting national infrastructure into public use with good value, which is important. Local...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I will take the last question first. Anybody will accept that the maximum figure paid by any local authority is â¬550 per month. That compares very favourably on a national basis, including Dublin and Cork. However, the figure can be as low as â¬299. I will provide the figures for the administrative costs because I do not have them readily available. I will ask my officials to make the...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: More than 1,400 prospective purchasers have formally registered interest on the dedicated home choice loan website and, to date, 44 applications have been made. Of these applications, 27 have been declined and four approved, with two loans now drawn down. Three applications have been withdrawn, while a decision is pending on ten applications, on which further information has been sought...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: While I appreciate the points made by the Deputy, I remind him that I also introduced the incremental purchase scheme. I do not intend to close down the scheme and, as I noted, I intend to extend it as and from 1 January 2010 to the second-hand house market. The scheme is in place with no incentive. The most important reason for its existence is to support people who wish to buy a house...
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: It is well recognised that the Government has entered into discussions with the financial institutions. The Deputy will acknowledge that capital injections have been made into the main banks.
- Social and Affordable Housing. (24 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: There is ongoing contact and have been public statements from the Taoiseach and others on the matter. My officials and I have regular meetings with the Irish Banking Federation and my decision to extend the loans scheme to second-hand houses is based on its data.
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 157 together. The Home Choice Loan scheme is operated by four local authorities acting on a regional basis. Dublin City Council administers the scheme on behalf of the four Dublin authorities, as well as Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow County Councils. The table below shows activity under the scheme in the region administered by Dublin City Council....
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I have arranged for details of the eligibility criteria for the Home Choice Loan Scheme, Affordable Housing, Shared Ownership and Local Authority house purchase loans to be sent directly to the Deputy. It should be noted that while provision was made in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 for the replacement of existing affordable housing schemes with a single, equity based...
- Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: Information in relation to activity under the range of housing programmes, including construction, for 2008 and Quarter 1 of 2009 is set out in my Department's annual and quarterly Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library and on my Department's website, www.environ.ie. Information in relation to Quarter 2 of 2009 will be published shortly in the...
- Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: Allocations totalling â¬79.562 million for 2009 were notified to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for Older People and People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the older Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes on 7 May 2009. Having regard to the continued priority which the Government attaches to these schemes and following an...
- Seanad: Hospital Services (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader of the House, Senator Cassidy and Senator Glynn. I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar provides an extensive range of quality-driven acute services to the population of Dublin, the midlands and, in particular, to people in...
- Seanad: Mental Health Services (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I thank Senator Corrigan for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to update the House on the developments within the national forensic mental health service. At the outset I should explain that statistics are not available regarding the number of people with an intellectual disability or Asperger's syndrome who are at present in prison or awaiting trial. As the Senator...
- Seanad: Mental Health Services (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I fully understand the comments of the Senator who has worked in the service. I appreciate that not everybody with an intellectual disability has a mental illness. I will bring back to the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, the comments she made on that matter and the questions she raised. Perhaps he might refer back to her on the issue.
- Seanad: Local Authority Housing (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: I thank Senator Donohoe for raising this important issue. The Government's commitment to social housing supports the development of sustainable communities in existing local authority estates through various improvement and regeneration initiatives. Regeneration is focused on addressing social, educational and economic disadvantage experienced in some of the most challenging areas of the...
- Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2009)
Michael Finneran: Amendment No. 9 extends the requirement of the settlement hierarchy to provide details of aggregate projected population growth of villages and small towns with a population of under 1,500 persons and open countryside outside of villages and towns. These figures would be derived by each city and county council from within the regional planning guideline population targets. Amendments Nos....