Results 7,141-7,160 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is just cables and brackets as illustrated in the photographs supplied. The forests will be fully under the regulatory control of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine. It was not a problem up to 2011, so it is just to clarify that. They are just the internal roads and the felling within the forests, which already fall under a full regulatory system within the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Stanley for his positive comments on septic tanks and electric vehicles. The septic tank issue will be on many people's minds in the coming months. On the second issue, it is not the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government but the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine who will be responsible. The regulations cover trees that are more than ten years...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I could certainly take that up with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Deputy Coveney. The Deputy might also consider tabling a parliamentary question to the Minister on the matter. I cannot give the Deputy a direct answer on the matter today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for his comments on sceptic tanks. The regulations apply to any body authorised to provide telecommunications infrastructure, so it is not just the ESB. The Deputy made some suggestions about micro wind turbines and smaller hydroelectric schemes. These are constantly under review so if other exemptions are required, we would be open to any newer ones that come along....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2013: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Our decision to introduce these regulations shows that we are willing to consider new proposals. I reiterate, however, that we must get the balance right because we have seen how lax planning got the country into trouble in the past. For this reason, we must ensure a balance is struck between the interests of communities and economic development. We are seeking to improve the planning...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (13 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the replies to Question No. 634 of 16 January 2013 and Question No. 431 of 23 April 2013, which set out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Finance Agency Funding (13 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authorities do not provide funding to or invest in the Housing Finance Agency. The Agency advances funds to local authorities to be used by them for any purpose authorised under the Housing Acts and it finances its operations by borrowing or raising funds for these purposes. The HFA also utilises its guaranteed notes programme to provide local authorities with a facility for surplus...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together. An Order under section 6 of the Foreshore Act 1933 is necessary in this case. In January 2013, my Department sought further advice from the Office of the Attorney General on the application of section 6 . A reply is awaited.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In line with the commitments in the Programme for Government and Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, my Department is currently developing a general scheme of a Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill. It is intended that the proposed legislation will align the development consent aspects of the foreshore system with the planning system operated by planning authorities and An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298, 303 and 317 together. On 5 June, I announced a new €50 million three-year energy efficiency investment programme for local authority homes. This is a key part of the Government’s additional €150 million capital investment in the economy over 2013-2014. This programme will target the 25,000 least energy efficient local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Planning and Development Acts 2000 - 2012 provide that the decision making authority for An Bord Pleanála rests with the Board itself and not with any individual inspector who may report on a case. The Board, in almost all cases which come before it, commissions an inspector's report on the case and it has the benefit of this assessment as an aid to its overall consideration of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department launched the Public Safety Initiative in March 2011, which provided funding to address immediate public safety issues on unfinished housing developments. The types of works that have been approved under the PSI include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting and other works to secure sites. The Public Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Private residential tenancies, with limited exceptions, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the main provisions in respect of rent and rent reviews are set out in Part III of that Act. Under section 19 of the Act, it is prohibited to set the rent under a tenancy at a rate above the market rent at either the beginning of the tenancy or at any subsequent rent review. Both...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Regeneration (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The difficulties facing the State's finances and the necessity to reduce public expenditure to sustainable levels are impacting on capital programmes all across the public service, including my Department's housing capital programme. The amount of capital funding available has decreased significantly in recent years along the lines highlighted in the Medium Term Exchequer Framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (18 Jun 2013)

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 I have no function in the allocation of social housing which is determined in accordance with the priority accorded under a housing authority's allocation scheme, the making of which is a reserved...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Payments (18 Jun 2013)

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 households that are availing of the rental accommodation scheme are included in this range up to end- 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Parking Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information sought is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end they have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require specified...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 amends the Planning and Development Act 2000 to provide for the introduction of a ‘strategic consent process’ for specified classes of infrastructure of regional or national importance. The Seventh Schedule lists particular classes of infrastructure, including waste and wastewater infrastructure, which come...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (18 Jun 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The specific information sought is not available in my Department. Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end they have been given substantial powers under the Act in...