Results 5,161-5,180 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Rental Accommodation Scheme: Rental Accommodation Scheme (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 18 month threshold as referred to is a 'rule of thumb' to try to distinguish between persons who are seeking a short term income support and those who have a long term housing need. While in general a household must be in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more in order to qualify for RAS, housing authorities do, on occasion, accept households on to RAS where they have been...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 432 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 549 on 11 January 2012. The properties under consideration are part of the security for loans that NAMA has acquired. In the majority of cases, properties remain in the ownership of the original borrowers. The remaining properties are controlled by receivers appointed by NAMA. Once a demand has been...

Written Answers — Housing Market: Housing Market (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Any housing specific interventions must be targeted in nature and designed to achieve specific outcomes. The main focus in terms of supports provided by Government must be on meeting the most acute needs – the housing support needs of those unable to provide for their accommodation from own resources. The financial parameters in which we are operating for the coming years rule out a return...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In response to my Department's circular letter of 7 December 2011, requesting local authorities to submit details of their improvement works programme for 2012, Dublin City Council submitted a broad ranging programme costing an estimated €19 million. This is being examined in my Department at present. I intend making announcements in relation to allocations for the programme in early March.

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, launched by my Department in October 2011, local authorities provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows: Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Property purchase transactions are subject to private contract and buyers should ensure that they have adequate legal advice and information when signing contracts. My Department has no statutory function in relation to the content of contracts. The Property Services Regulation Act 2011 was signed into law on 20 December 2011, and is subject to commencement orders to be made by the Minister...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the Government's Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and the 2012 estimates process, difficult decisions have had to be taken in relation to prioritising funding for core services in all programme areas. The funding estimate to support my Department's mainstreamed drugs projects under the Housing programme in 2012 is €100,000 compared with €400,000 in 2011, i.e. a reduction of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities and the purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Information in respect of funding provided under Section 10 for the 34 City and County Council areas for the years...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are two current schemes for tenants of housing authorities to purchase their homes. The first, the tenant purchase scheme, is provided for in section 90 of the Housing Act, 1966. The second, the incremental purchase scheme in respect of newly-built homes designated by housing authorities for incremental purchase, is provided for under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Provisions governing mortgage lending by local authorities are set out under the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2009 and associated credit policy. To ensure effective targeting of resources, loan finance continues to be available to first time buyers only. Income limits are also in place, distinguishing between single and dual income households and a maximum loan limit is...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Planning authorities are independent statutory bodies, with democratically elected councils and their own management structures to carry out their statutory duties. The Planning and Development Act 2000 extended the rules relating to ethics for planning authority staff. Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001 introduced a comprehensive ethics regime for councillors and local government...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Information on the sale of local authority houses to the end of 2009 is available on my Department's website www.environ.ie. More recent information regarding the number of applications received under the 1995 and 2011 Tenant Purchase Schemes and currently under consideration in housing authorities is not yet available in my Department. Relevant statistics will be published in due course....

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (31 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are already two types of house purchase loan available from local authorities: standard annuity loans targeted at lower income first time buyers and those under the Home Choice Loan scheme which are available to qualifying middle income first time buyers affected by the "credit crunch". The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity mortgages...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (1 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is not possible to provide the information requested in the form sought in the question. Information will be compiled and sent to the Deputy as soon as possible to meet his request so far as this is possible. Work is currently underway on preparing the Social Housing Investment Programme for 2012, including projects funded under Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). Information submitted by...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (1 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department's involvement with voluntary and co-operative housing schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of the schemes, and the certification that projects comply with the terms and conditions of the funding schemes, are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Galway County Council submitted a proposal under my...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (1 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 127 to 129, inclusive, together. As part of the implementation of the recommendations in the Keane Report my Department is developing a mortgage to rent scheme on a pilot basis. This work has been assisted by Clúid Housing Association, a number of local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, AIB, and more recently, New Beginning...

Social and Affordable Housing (2 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The housing agency is working with NAMA to determine the social housing demand for individual properties identified by NAMA. In that context, the agency is contacting the relevant local authorities to consider existing demand in terms of numbers, types and locations of properties required to meet social housing needs in the relevant authorities. The agency will provide a co-ordinated...

Social and Affordable Housing (2 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The proposal is to achieve value for money for the State. The capital budget has been reducing considerably in recent years and is quite low at this stage. We are obtaining good value for the State in that we are accommodating a sizeable number of people under leasing arrangements. Approximately 20,000 households are accommodated under leasing and RAS arrangements. NAMA properties will be...

Social and Affordable Housing (2 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is essentially about providing homes for families who need them. NAMA has been given a job by the State to get the best possible value for taxpayers' money with regard to the properties that have come under its remit. It has a social element and this is in the legislation. It is in accordance with this element that houses are being sought for those in need of them around the country....

Social and Voluntary Housing (2 Feb 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, identifies approved housing bodies, AHBs, as key partners in the delivery of social housing. This recognises both the constrained funding levels available for local authority construction programmes and the capacity and track record of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. AHBs are uniquely placed to help drive the...