Results 1,461-1,480 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

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

Michael Finneran: Approval issued to Kilkenny County Council on 3 April 2009 in relation to this proposal.

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

Michael Finneran: My Department met with each local authority in early March as part of the annual Housing Action Plan process. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the direction and content of authorities' proposed Social Housing Investment Programmes, including Part V social housing, and particularly to consider the prioritisation of projects and the reconfiguration of the programme as a whole, so...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Under the Housing Management Initiative, from 1 January 2007, local authorities were given direct control over their Internal Capital Receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings, subject to certain conditions, to be used primarily for planned maintenance programmes and the improvement of their housing stock. Improvements necessary to facilitate older people or people with a disability...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department continues to work closely with Monaghan Town Council on the delivery of its ambitious remedial works project at Mullaghmatt. Following completion of the initial pilot phase, approval was given in October 2007 to proceed to tender for the refurbishment of a further 60 houses. A report on the procurement process was received by my Department in February 2009 and is being...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability are funded by 80% recoupment from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. In the case of the old Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grants these were funded by 67% recoupment from my Department together with a 33% contribution from the resources of the local...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 893 of 24 March 2009. In general, following consideration by the Board of the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) the rates charged to local authority borrowers are normally adjusted by the Board, in line with movements in European Central Bank (ECB) rates. However, given that the correlation between ECB rates and interbank rates (i.e. the rates at which the...

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

Michael Finneran: I have been in correspondence with the association in question in relation to the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008 and I have noted their suggested amendments which will be examined as part of the consideration of the Bill during its passage through the Oireachtas.

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

Michael Finneran: An application by Cork County Council for approval to proceed with the project at Fellowship House, Spur Hill, under the Capital Assistance Scheme was received in my Department on 24 February 2009 and has since been examined. Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under the Capital Assistance Scheme, it is not possible to approve the project at this time. The application...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I am glad this debate took place. People have put thought into it and have views. I am impressed by this. If there is a difficulty with the sale of affordable homes today, with 3,700 in stock and 50% of them to be sold off, it is important to state that they are part of the national infrastructure and are available for people to live in. Those 3,700 houses will be used for 3,700 families...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The area of repossessions, which Senator Coffey spoke about, is emotive. When the credit crunch and the difficulties of people losing their jobs became evident, I found when I took over this portfolio that there was a code of practice for lending institutions. This did not cover all institutions and it did not have a statutory basis so I moved on these issues. At the moment all lending...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I am talking about repossessions. This is an emotive issue and there are many cases in the courts. Nevertheless, there are not many housing repossessions and many such cases relate to farm machinery etc. There is a mix of cases. The information available to us is that there is a limited number of housing repossession cases. There is an increase in the number of people who are getting...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Yes. There is much potential to take people off lists through this and I am thinking of ways to advance it further. Very few local authorities have publicly advertised the scheme. The local authorities in Senator Coffey's area in Waterford have made no requests to my Department for the schemes. I do not have the figures here but I am sure that in both those authorities there are many...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I do not want to switch everything to social housing either. I want to leave a certain type of community. Many of the social problems in our big estates arise from mono-tenure occupation. We are regenerating the older estates in places such as Ballymun, Limerick and Sligo. The policies which existed may have seemed correct in the past but they were not the best policies. A mixed...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The time which the House has set aside for statements on affordable housing gives me an opportunity to outline current issues and developments in this area and how we are responding to the impact on the affordable housing area of far-reaching changes in the housing market and the wider economy. As in most countries, the Irish housing market has experienced a sharp downward shift. This change...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The amount of rent paid to private landlords through RAS is agreed following a negotiated process that takes account of current market rents, the value to the landlord of being accepted on to the scheme and the need to deliver value for money for public investment. The actual rent paid is a matter for the individual authority; however guidance from my Department in relation to this matter...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 introduced a new regulatory framework governing private rented residential tenancies, providing, inter alia, for – Ø A measure of security for tenants of certain dwellings; Ø Amendment of landlord and tenant law in relation to basic rights and obligations of each of the parties; Ø The cheap and speedy resolution of disputes between such parties; Ø The...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: Allocations to individual local authorities under the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability will be announced following the publication of the Revised Estimates of Public Expenditure 2009.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 882 of 24 March 2009. Allocations to local authorities under the Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes and the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability are calculated on the basis of a number of criteria and on foot of detailed discussions between my Department and the local authorities. A range of...

Written Answers — Rental Accommodation Scheme: Rental Accommodation Scheme (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: The information requested is set out in the following table. Quarter Households to RAS Q1 2006 493 Q2 2006 375 Q3 2006 592 Q4 2006 873 Q1 2007 611 Q2 2007 888 Q3 2007 711 Q4 2007 916 Q1 2008 717 Q2 2008 994 Q3 2008 867 Q4 2008 1067 Total 9104* *In addition to these 9104 households, a further 8,100 households formerly in receipt of Rent Supplement were accommodated through other...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (7 Apr 2009)

Michael Finneran: As part of the Housing Management Initiative, local authorities have been given delegated sanction for the delivery of their annual Improvement Works Programmes subject to specific conditions and overall programme approval from my Department. Funding for these programmes is provided from the authority's own internal capital receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings and so the...