Results 7,101-7,120 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Order for Report Stage (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now".

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I do not propose to accept Deputy Boyd Barrett's amendments. We are moving towards a harmonisation of rent under HAP. It is intended that there would be model rents for different families around the country and harmonisation would be developed under the HAP legislation which we will introduce later in the year. It is a fairly technical amendment to ensure we can have rent schemes during...

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I do not agree.

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Deputy cannot talk about-----

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I do not agree that the 15% variation in property tax will always vary upwards. In the Deputy's local authority area 80% could be retained. Given the valuation of houses on the east coast there will be considerable scope in that area generally to vary the tax. Many local authority members will not agree with the Deputy. In fact, the entire Sinn Féin membership said yesterday it would...

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is essentially a technical Bill which paves the way for the larger debate. When I introduce the legislation on the housing assistance scheme, the economic assessment will have been completed. I hope to bring a memorandum to Cabinet before we break for the summer setting out our plan for implementing the transition. There is a great deal of work to be done before then, including...

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are straying a little from the Bill, but there is a priority question today on that issue which I think Deputy Dessie Ellis tabled.

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputy Noel Grealish's point has been raised many times in this Chamber, on Second and Committee Stages of the Bill and in various other contexts. Strictly, it is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection. I do not deal with rent caps and rent supplement, but the issue came up in this context because this and the next Bill will facilitate the transfer of the long-term rent supplement...

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We engaged in considerable consultations with Threshold, in particular.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The grounds on which a tenancy in the private rented residential sector may be legally terminated are clearly set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act provides the main regulatory framework for the private rented residential sector and the operation of the Private Residential Tenancies Board. It provides for security of tenure and specifies minimum obligations for landlords...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: There have been difficulties where, for various reasons, the rental accommodation scheme landlords end tenancies. There are various conditions under which landlords can end tenancies. Then, the local authority works with the tenants to try to find suitable accommodation. Ultimately, the local authority has the responsibility and if it cannot find an alternative in the area where a person...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We must try to address people's needs in the various ways available to us. As soon as we can do so, that will include the direct provision of more local authority houses. Deputy Ellis had raised this case with me at a meeting of the committee. The Minister for Social Protection recently announced revised caps, which in the case of the Dublin area are an improvement on the current...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Eighth Annual Report of the Local Government Management Agency, published this year, which details service indicators in local authorities in 2011, shows the average time taken, from the date of vacating of a unit to the date when all necessary repairs are carried out, to re-let a unit in each authority. The figures show that some 4,356 dwellings were vacant, accounting for 3.33% of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Minimum standards in rented accommodation have been raised significantly in recent years under the Action Programme on Standards which was introduced on foot of a commitment in the Towards 2016 social partnership agreement. All landlords now have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with minimum standards for rental accommodation prescribed in the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Status (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department remains committed to working with local government and other community development and enterprise stakeholders to ensure that a recovering economy will result in an even distribution of opportunity. In this regard there is a need to target, in an integrated way, urbanareas which face particular problems resulting from both the economic downturn and investments in the past which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 567 and 568 of 11 June 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently supporting pyrite remediation works at a number of locations in the Dublin City and Fingal areas. Local authorities are responsible for addressing pyrite issues relating to their properties and submit proposals to my Department where remediation works are required, including works relating to pyrite heave. I understand that properties owned by Dublin City Council...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The stubbornly high number of rough sleepers recently reported for Dublin reflects the significant challenge facing the Government, the voluntary sector and other agencies in tackling homelessness. My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Neither I nor my Department have met with the Department of Social Protection in this regard and no such meeting has been proposed.