Results 6,381-6,400 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 2012 National Housing Development survey, which includes details of unfinished housing developments on a county by county basis broken down by category, can be accessed on my Department's web site . Queries regarding the taking in charge and provision of services in individual estates should be addressed directly to the relevant local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Anti-Social Behaviour (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together. The Housing Acts 1966 to 2009 confer a range of powers on housing authorities relating to combating anti-social behaviour in their housing stock , including the making of an anti-social behaviour strategy under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. The exercise of these powers is a matter for the relevant authority. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Asset Management Agency (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together. Since December 2011 NAMA have identified over 3,800 properties as being potentially available for social housing. The Local Authorities and the Housing Agency are working systematically with NAMA to determine if there is a social housing demand for properties identified as potentially suitable for social housing, including the need for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears the Government launched a mortgage to rent scheme on a pilot basis in February 2012. This scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting those low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy and those data are available on my Department’s website . Data on the number of local authority housing loans and shared ownership loans issued are published online. Loan finance remains available from local authorities for low and middle income...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 111 of 15 September 2011, 143 of 8 March 2012, 222 of 3 May 2012 and 454 of 23 October 2012. The position is unchanged: loan finance remains available from local authorities for low and middle income borrowers and no funding restrictions have been placed on local authorities for the purposes of providing loan finance for house purchase or home...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 to 433, inclusive, together. I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government’s response to the recommendations. Both documents were published on 9 June 2011 and are available on my...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Protection (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator van Turnhout for raising this issue. I will convey her concerns to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I am sorry that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, is not here to reply. The Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, which is a division of the Department of Justice and Equality. The RIA is...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Protection (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can see the Senator is very concerned about this. I will convey those concerns directly to the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, and I will ask her to contact the Senator directly with regard to her supplementary question.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Household Charge (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The EU-IMF programme of financial support, which was signed up to by Senator Byrne's party, contains a commitment to introduce a property tax for 2012.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Household Charge (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The programme reflects the need to put the funding of locally delivered services on a sound financial footing, improve accountability and better align the cost of providing services with demand. It was considered that, in light of the complex issues involved, a local property tax would take time to introduce and, accordingly, the Government decided to introduce a household charge in 2012 as...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator MacSharry for raising this issue. My visit to Sligo last week was very positive. I was impressed by what is being done there, particularly in Cranmore. I hope I can clarify the situation for the Senator. The action programme for effective local government, "Putting People First", was published on 16 October 2012. It sets out Government policy for reform across all the main...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will try to get the specifics for Sligo, which I understand is what Senator MacSharry wants. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, stated in his press release on this matter that in counties where there are existing town councils there should be four additional members per borough council and one additional member per town council. I do not know if that makes the position any clearer.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will ask the Minister to forward the specifics about Sligo to Senator MacSharry.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Colleges of Education (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senators for raising it. The Minister has accepted the recommendations set out in a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority on the structures for initial teacher education, ITE. The purpose of the report was to identify new structures to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Colleges of Education (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I reiterate that I will convey to the Minister the concerns of the Senators in regard to St. Angela's College, Sligo and the Church of Ireland College of Education.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (5 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. They specify requirements in relation to a range of matters such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas and electrical supply. All landlords...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (5 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) provides funding to approved housing bodies of up to 100% of the approved costs of accommodation for people with specific categories of housing need, including victims of domestic violence. My Department’s involvement with the CAS relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (5 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has been in contact with Dublin City Council and I understand that the Council is actively dealing with a number of the properties mentioned. The City Council has, in fact, already served notices under the Derelict Sites Act in relation to a number of the locations.  My Department has requested the City Council to provide updates on developments with regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (6 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 as amended by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, provides that any person who by act or omission, obstructs an authorised...