Results 1,901-1,920 of 2,386 for speaker:Michael Finneran

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: This amendment is not appropriate for inclusion in section 19. The section provides the general power for housing authorities to provide or manage the provision of social housing support and is essentially a restatement of section 56 of the Housing Act 1966. However, section 19 is more comprehensive with an updated power for housing authorities to provide what is now a broader range of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: As I said, in line with the homelessness strategy, I intend to put on a statutory basis the homelessness action plan by bringing forward amendments during the passage of the Bill. I spoke about that plan before lunch today. Such plans will deal with the implementation issue as well as addressing the concerns that have been expressed. I know that they are two different sections, but I have...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I will not comment on the workings of the bells of the House. To clarify the situation for Senator Coffey, it is during the passage of this Bill that I will put those provisions of the implementation plan on a statutory basis. They are included. In the strategy I announced in August, I referred to this. The Way Home strategy outlines the approach to local homeless action plans and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: We are only on Committee Stage. The implementation plan will be in place before the end of the year but it is not in place as we stand.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: The position is we are working on the Committee Stage amendment and that work is continuing as we speak. It is a work in progress and it will be part of this legislation.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I do not expect it will be in place during Committee Stage in the Seanad. However, as the Senator knows, the legislation will finally come back to the House in which it was initiated. For explanation purposes, there are a number of other provisions that are also being worked on by the Attorney General, such as the sale of flats in Dublin, which we may deal with later, and that type of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I reject totally that there is any question of this being a half-baked Bill. There is a simple explanation. The Bill was published in advance of the strategy, which came afterwards. I am sure the House would want me to put the implementation plan on a statutory basis as soon as possible. I am being as helpful as I can to the House and to the people in having it included in this...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: The intention was not for this to reflect badly on the House in any way. If anything, the intention was to reflect favourably on the House by initiating the legislation here, as somebody who spent 14 years in this House. Senators will have an opportunity to debate every part of the Bill because as they are aware, a Bill must come back to the House in which it is initiated. We are all aware...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: The local action plans are part of the implementation plan. This issue will be put on a statutory footing but some of the implementation issues do not need to be put on a statutory footing. I want to make that distinction. Some of the implementation plan will need a legislative framework and some of it will not. I repeat that the statutory part of the implementation plan will be part of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Seanadóir Doherty go bhfuil an leasú i mBéarla agus mar sin beidh an freagra i mBéarla. In its new homeless strategy, the Government has decided that the statutory definition of homelessness will not be changed. However, we will review how the definition is applied operationally, for example, to ensure consistency in its application across local authorities....

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I would never be so bold as to describe Senator Norris as elderly.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I will address the last question first. Senators are aware of the strategy on homelessness, but it is not worth the paper it is written on unless there is an implementation plan with a statutory back-up. That is the process I am involved in at the moment with all the stakeholders and it is our definite intention to publish the plan before the end of the year. We want to implement it, which...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: It is 1988. I accept that.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: The House will have an opportunity to debate this matter when we discuss section 10. I commented on this matter on Second Stage and I stated that I am satisfied that the current statutory definition of homelessness which is contained in the 1988 Act is sufficient. We will carry out a review of the definition for operational purposes. Furthermore in the context of developing a new...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: I made my comment on this and we will have further opportunity to discuss this matter as we progress through the Bill. This is the best way forward.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: This amendment is required to provide explicitly that a Minister has the power to revoke or amend a general policy direction issued under this section. This provision would be particularly important where policy is changed after the appointment of a new Minister. A similar provision exists in planning legislation, in section 29(3) of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: This amendment is required to correct references in section 7 to columns in Schedule 1 which specify that the short title of a Bill is to be replaced and the extent of the repeal. Section 7 as it stands refers to columns 2 and 3 of Schedule 1 where it should refer to columns 3 and 4.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: The purpose of section 10 is to provide a summary of the main functions of the housing authorities and to act as a lead-in provision to the requirement to make housing service plans as provided for in sections 14 to 18. While I appreciate the objective of the proposed amendment, it would not have the impact envisaged by the Senator. It could oblige an authority to put in train arrangements...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: Section 10(a)(iv) lists sales or consents to sales under Part 3 of the Bill, that is, the incremental purchase scheme as a housing support forming one of three specific elements of the housing services provided by the housing authority under the housing Acts. However, the social housing support is also listed in section 10(a)(i) as a form of housing support and elements of the social housing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (18 Nov 2008)

Michael Finneran: My Department does not collect data in relation to the income of individual applicants under the shared ownership scheme. However, under the scheme, a graded subsidy towards the rental element of the property is available to shared ownership purchasers whose household income in the preceding tax year is €28,000 or less. The number of households availing of this subsidy to date in 2008 is...