Results 1,541-1,560 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As part of a national programme for the "greening" of the social housing stock, some €50 million in exchequer funding has been set aside in 2009 to support a range of initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of the stock. This programme will include support for the first round of Towards Carbon Neutral demonstration projects as well as funding for insulation retrofitting projects that...

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I understand the question to refer to contracts in respect of residential tenancies, as my Department has no function in relation to the general law governing the operation of contracts. Private residential tenancies, with limited exceptions, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the main provisions in respect of rent and rent reviews are set out in Part III of that Act....

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The Homebond Structural Guarantee Scheme is a private company and my Department has no function in the detailed operation of the scheme.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The price of affordable housing units transferred to local authorities under Part V primarily reflects the costs negotiated, in accordance with the relevant legislation, between authorities and developers. These costs are based on the sum of the site costs, calculated at existing use value, actual construction costs as agreed between the local authority and the developer, plus reasonable...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The allocations to the Health Service Executive under the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly (SHAE) Scheme are determined by a Task Force, which operates under the aegis of my Department. While the scheme has been closed to new applications since 1 August 2008, having been replaced by the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, the HSE is continuing to process applications on hands at that...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The intention of the new leasing initiative is to widen the range of supply options available to authorities to meet housing need and to maximise the level of social housing that can be delivered from within available public resources. While, currently, the lease arrangements envisage that the properties would be returned to the owners at the end of the lease period, the introduction of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I refer to the reply to Question No. 235 of 5 February 2009. Limerick City Council, Limerick County Council, Clare County Council, and the Limerick Regeneration Agencies have received provisional notification of the allocation of some €28 million to support the regeneration of Limerick in 2009. This provisional allocation has yet to be finalised, however, and is subject to further...

Written Answers — Voluntary Sector Funding: Voluntary Sector Funding (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: My Department is aware that Dublin City Council is currently in discussions with the voluntary body Cuain Mhuire Teoranta regarding an application for funding under the capital assistance scheme, for a housing project at 36 Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin 1. As yet my Department has not received an application for grant assistance for this project.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 403 together. All house building is governed by the Building Regulations, which apply standards for the construction of all new buildings, including affordable housing. Local authorities have been advised to take the necessary steps to monitor construction of affordable housing acquired under Part V agreements to ensure appropriate standards and that...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 412 together. My Department held a Housing Action Plan meeting with officials from Dublin City Council on 4 March. This was one of the present round of Housing Action Plan meetings held with all Housing Authorities. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss the direction and content of authorities' proposed Social Housing Investment programmes and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: As stated in the reply to Question No. 346 of 3 March, all decisions regarding capital projects will be taken after the current round of Housing Action Plan review meetings which are currently underway between my Department and local authorities. These meetings will be completed within the next two weeks. The purpose of these meetings is to review the individual housing investment programmes...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I understand that Limerick County Council's Rathkeale Local Area Plan supported the establishment of the Rathkeale Forum involving all agencies and groups with an interest in the development of the town and that the Forum will have a key role in the implementation and monitoring of the objectives and policies of the Local Area Plan. No specific request for funding for the Forum has been...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: Dublin City Council continues to liaise closely with my Department on the progress relating to its housing-related public private partnership programme. At present, the City Council is reviewing the project at St. Teresa's Gardens in the context of the current market environment and the requirements of the community at that site, to determine the next steps in the procurement process. The...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: In general, following consideration by its Board, the rates charged to local authority borrowers are normally adjusted by the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) in line with movements in European Central Bank (ECB) rates. The Agency notified local authorities in February of its decision to pass on, in full, the 0.5% decrease announced by the ECB in January. The effective rate for local authority...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: In line with the commitments set out in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, my Department is currently undertaking, with the assistance of outside consultants, a strategic review of the role of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector in the provision, maintenance, operation and management of social rented accommodation in Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, including the processing and approval of individual applications, is a matter for the local authority concerned and is one in which my Department has no direct function.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage. (5 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Notwithstanding the magnitude of the domestic and international recession and the resulting first priority of Government to stabilise the public finances, we must continue to plan for the future. In a housing context, this preparation involves, among other issues, the provision of a modern and appropriate legislative framework to allow...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: The total Exchequer voted capital allocation for social and affordable housing programmes in 2009 will be finalised in the context of the revised Estimates for Public Services, to be published shortly. The capital provision set out in the National Development Programme for social and affordable housing in 2010 is €1,511.38m.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 340 together. Local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations for 2009 in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, following the publication, shortly, of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2009.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (3 Mar 2009)

Michael Finneran: A list of projects submitted for approval by Dublin City Council under the main local authority housing programme and voluntary housing projects under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) is set out in the table. In the context of the current economic and fiscal climate and the implications of this for the social housing investment programme...