Results 1,001-1,020 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: To date, my Department has issued funding approval in respect of some 842 properties under the Social Housing Leasing Initiative. In addition, a further 367 units have received provisional approval subject to additional information being provided to and reviewed by my Department. This gives a total of 1,209 properties that have received approval this year. There are also a number of other...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), I am not in a position to approve funding for these proposals at this time. They will be considered in the light of the Estimates provision for the CAS for 2010.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), it is not possible to approve the funding application submitted by South Tipperary County Council at this time. The application will be considered in the light of the Estimates provision for the CLSS in 2010, social housing needs locally and the potential for market based social housing...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the Capital Assistance Scheme it has not been possible to approve this scheme. The scheme will, however, be considered for approval in the context of the 2010 Estimates considerations and my Department's capital investment programme.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Affordable Homes Partnership (AHP) have processed 173 applications since the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations, 2009 came into force on 27 April 2009. The following table gives a breakdown of the status of these applications, final decisions on which are a matter for the relevant local authority. Private Housing Shared Ownership Incremental Purchase Affordable Housing Total...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Over the period January to end of August 2009, Kildare County Council have transferred 60 households from rent supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) or other forms of social housing, with a total of 692 households transferred since the commencement of the scheme in 2005. The qualifying criteria for RAS are that a household must be in receipt of rent supplement, usually for 18...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Over 1,400 prospective purchasers have formally registered interest on the dedicated Home Choice loan website and, to date, 38 applications have been made. Of these 26 have been declined, 3 approvals in principle have issued, 3 applications have been withdrawn, and a decision is pending in respect of 6 applications where further information has been sought from the applicant.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (14 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. The overall level of funding provided under the Social Housing Investment Programme for the supply of local authority and voluntary/co-operative housing for the years in question is as follows: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Local Authority 702,739,974 833,692,272 940,225,258 940,041,951 978,631,660 Voluntary/Co-Operative* 182,522,304...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Information on both social and affordable housing activity, in each local authority area up to the end of March 2009, is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Information is also published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Data for the second quarter of 2009 will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 to 378, inclusive, together. Activity under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been increasing steadily since the scheme first commenced in 2005. The total number of households transferred from Rent Supplement to the end of August 2009 was 22,412. Of these, 11,987 households were provided with accommodation directly under the Rental Accommodation...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock is a matter for individual authorities. However, I understand that the process for the taking in charge of this estate has been initiated by Cork County Council and is subject to the finalisation of landscaping and planting works.

Written Answers — Fire Service: Fire Service (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: The provision of a fire service, including equipment, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities. The Department supports the authorities through the setting of general policy and the provision of funding under the fire services capital programme, including the recoupment (within the overall funding available) of costs incurred by the authorities in relation to the purchase...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Under Section 11 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended, the allocation of tenancies in local authority dwellings is entirely a matter for the local authority concerned, in this case Clare County Council. It is solely a matter for local authorities to assess housing applicants, independently of my Department, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 979 and 1012 of 16 September 2009. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (13 Oct 2009)

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. These schemes, introduced on 1 November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department, together with a 20% contribution from the resources of...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (13 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: The primary purpose of Circular SHIP 2009/01 is to ensure that construction related professional services required under the Social Housing Investment Programme are provided in an efficient and effective manner. The circular does not preclude private sector involvement in the provision of such services and I do not believe it will result in adverse effects for regeneration projects. The...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides for a new scheme of incremental purchase, which will, among other things, enable approved housing bodies to sell new dwellings provided for the purposes of the scheme to tenants at a substantial discount. This Part of the Act will be brought into operation in the coming months. In September 2009, my Department published, for...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1053 of 16 September 2009. The position is unchanged.

Seanad: Public Transport: Motion (7 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank Members for their contributions. The reality is that, since 1997, successive Governments have done more than any of their predecessors to develop rural transport in general and the rural transport programme. We are delivering high levels of service because of ongoing investment and policy development for more than a decade. I intend to set the record straight with regard to rural...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2009)

Michael Finneran: I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Minister for Education and Science's strategy for capital investment in education projects, as well as the current position on Coláiste na Coiribe, in particular. The allocation of funding for school buildings in 2009 is €614 million. This represents a significant investment in...