Results 5,801-5,820 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities. The Housing Agency's Housing Needs Assessment 2008 and 2011 reports break down the categories of housing need, including in respect of homelessness, for all 88 housing authorities nationwide. These are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. However, as the Housing Needs...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: One of the recommendations of the Final Report of the Planning Tribunal is that interventions made by elected members in respect of specific planning applications should be noted on the file and that file should be available for inspection on the relevant planning authority's website. This recommendation, together with all the other recommendations of the Planning Tribunal, is currently under...

Written Answers — Mortgage Arrears: Mortgage Arrears (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 411 together. Local authorities have long been the lenders of last resort servicing the housing loans needs of less affluent members of society. In the present economic circumstances it is to be anticipated that the ability of some borrowers to service housing loans may become restricted and that a number of loans may fall into arrears. Section 34 of...

Written Answers — Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department understands that the draft Meath County Development Plan 2013-2019, currently on public display from 25 May 2012 until 3 August 2012, includes an objective to investigate the preparation of a renewable energy strategy promoting technologies which are most viable in County Meath. Under the Planning Acts, the making, reviewing and varying of a development plan is a reserved...

Written Answers — Housing Management Companies: Housing Management Companies (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The management and maintenance of local authority housing is a matter for the local authority concerned. Where a local authority transfers responsibility for management and maintenance to an approved housing body, responsibility for insurance remains with the local authority. My Department is not aware of any case where a local authority has transferred responsibility for the management of...

Written Answers — Private Residential Tenancies Board: Private Residential Tenancies Board (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector. My Department conducted a...

Written Answers — Property Ownership: Property Ownership (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is no legislation in Ireland regulating the height of trees and hedges. My Department understands that there is no right in Irish law to receive light in a garden and that, while there is a civil remedy available of nuisance in respect of the branches or roots of a neighbour's trees encroaching on one's property, there is no civil law remedy in respect of the loss of light in a garden...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authority rents are set in accordance with a rent scheme adopted by each housing authority. The making and amending of these rent schemes are an integral part of a housing authority's housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002 under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966 (as amended). It is a matter...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a matter for each housing authority to determine, in accordance with its scheme of letting priorities, the manner in which households are allocated social housing in its area. It is my intention to review the operation of allocation policy with the broad objective of putting a greater emphasis on 'time on the list' as a criterion for allocating local authority housing.

Written Answers — Rent Supplement Scheme: Rent Supplement Scheme (26 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: By end of April 2012 local authorities had transferred a total of 39,450 households from rent supplement. Of these 22,979 were housed directly under RAS with 16,471 accommodated under other social housing options.

Written Answers — Regeneration Projects: Regeneration Projects (27 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 to 140, inclusive, together. Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) was established by Dublin City Council in 1997, under the Companies Acts, following a Government decision that year to demolish the flat blocks and replace them with standard housing as part of the social and economic regeneration of the area as a whole. BRL's principal objects are, inter...

Local Authority Housing (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this important issue. In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the social housing stock, including the carrying out of planned maintenance programmes and pre-letting repairs, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority, in this case, Dublin City Council. Housing maintenance works, including...

Local Authority Housing (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: To reply directly to Deputy Byrne on this issue, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and I met NAMA recently and we are engaging with it on an ongoing basis. Originally it committed to more than 2,000 units, some of which are suitable and some are not. We will continue to engage with it until we have approximately this number of units for social housing. I take the point that we must continuously...

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 12 June 2012 , I published the planning review report assessing the application of planning legislation, policy and guidance within the development plan and development management systems at local level and to inform further policy development in this area. Seven planning authorities, representing a broad geographical spread of both urban and rural areas as well as both large and small...

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I completely reject Deputy Collins's allegations. He knows perfectly well that what we were doing in this particular case was completing a review, and the word was "review", that the previous Minister intended to initiate.

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Waterford has nothing to do with it. It is not one of the seven local authorities selected by the former Minister, Mr. Gormley.

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are completing the job Mr. Gormley intended to start but did not. This is all the review is, and Deputy Collins should not make it out to be something it is not.

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There were no allegations of corruption in the seven issues raised with Mr. Gormley. The review is completely separate from the type of corruption pointed to in the Mahon report. We will have a whole of Government response to the Mahon report in due course very shortly. The issue in Waterford is entirely separate and shows the court system works. Somebody was taken to court and found...

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: No, I am not.

Planning Issues (28 Jun 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Of course it does.