Results 5,461-5,480 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We have improved the income criteria for qualification for local authority housing. The Department issued the guidelines for unfinished estates and it was up to local authorities to decide what categories estates were in. There is an opportunity to look at the categorisation now, but not for this year in terms of exemption from the local authority charge. I will examine the particular case...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I met a voluntary housing organisation yesterday. It is hoping to go into a ghost estate, where a certain number of people have bought houses. The organisation hopes to take over the vacant houses and provide social housing for people who need it. There is scope to work with the voluntary, community and co-operative sectors in these situations. However, Senator Kelly is talking about an...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Senator James Heffernan raised the issue of retrofitting and insulation. There has been concentration on vacant houses. This in some ways relates to Senator Lorraine Higgins's question as to why it takes so long for people to move in. One of the reasons funding is directed towards vacant houses is to bring them up to standard to facilitate their letting. In a way Senator Lorraine...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I accept that. However, there is an ability to pay issue that must be taken into account. We do not want people undertaking to buy out their home and then finding they cannot afford to feed themselves. Senator O'Keeffe asked what will happen to the developers of unfinished housing estates. I certainly hope the relevant authorities will pursue any of those who are guilty of misconduct in...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: On Senator Colm Burke's suggestion regarding the German model, the Department will consider any model available. In some ways, it connects with the point made by Senator Michael Comiskey about making available the houses in the possession of NAMA to young people. I am not familiar with that German scheme, but I am certainly here to listen and take back Members' suggestions to the...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Are they council tenants?

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Normally, local authorities try to facilitate such cases by way of transfers and, obviously, people can be placed on transfer lists.

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authorities move people around all the time, as individuals are placed on transfer lists and moved around. I understand a successful scheme operated in parts of Dublin some time ago. The Department can examine the scheme that was in place to ascertain whether there is potential in that regard. The same point applies to the specific instance cottages scheme mentioned by Senator Brian...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator. Senators Denis Landy and Darragh O'Brien have raised common issues. I understand the point they have raised because I am personally familiar with such estates in which parts may be classified as being in category one, while others are classified as being in categories three or four. This has occurred in large estates in which, as Senator Denis Landy has observed, a...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that fully and take on board that point. That is why we are in the process of looking at the categories again. The person to contact would be the local co-ordinator, of which there is one in every local authority for unfinished housing estates. There are people in the Department who liaise directly with co-ordinators in the local authorities. I understand the comments but...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I cannot comment on people taking legal cases. The operation was done by the local authorities with the guidance of the Department. There are real difficulties with bonds and local authorities can struggle with them, depending on when an estate was built. I do not know if I have a real answer to the issue but if we can clarify the issue, we will revert to the Senator. Any of us who have...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: He was kicked out of the party in 1993.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It has started.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: They are not suppressed, they are ongoing.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: They have started.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will address the issues raised by Deputy McConalogue at the conclusion of my contribution. I assure the House that those investigations are ongoing. It is important and good that the House is finally debating the final report of the Mahon planning tribunal. This is a significant debate which will be the historical point of departure in responding to the analysis, findings and...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is no provision at present in the voluntary housing schemes for the purchase of individual houses by tenants. My Department is currently in consultation with the voluntary housing sector, through the Irish Council for Social Housing, with regard to the development of an enabling regulatory framework that will support the expanded role for the sector foreseen in the Government's housing...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: t no stage did I cancel or stand down the investigations concerned. My predecessor as Minister for Housing and Planning decided that, instead of incurring significant costs to the Exchequer by securing outsourced expertise, the Department would carry out an examination of the cases involved in the first instance. This examination would then inform the public statement which I will be making...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are two types of local authority mortgages. Home Choice Loan, which is available to credit worthy households earning in excess of €35,000 as a single applicant and over €45,000 combined income as joint applicants, and a standard annuity mortgage. This is the only loan type made available to prospective purchasers under any of the affordable housing schemes and any other paths to...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Mar 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts, announced in the context of the standing down of affordable housing schemes as part of the Government's housing policy statement, will include an examination of the operational aspects of the shared ownership scheme. Any future changes to legislation governing affordable housing schemes will be informed by that review which will...