Results 7,201-7,220 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933 provides that the removal of any beach material from the foreshore is an activity that requires a foreshore licence. The definition of beach material in the Act includes seaweed, whether the seaweed is rooted on the foreshore or washed up by tidal action.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authorities have had statutory responsibility for the operation of the Irish planning system since the introduction of modern planning arrangements under the Local Government (Planning) Act 1963.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 to 512, inclusive, together. The Planning Review Report I published, on 12 June 2012, was prepared internally by my Department. The only costs therefore were the salary and relevant travel costs of the officials engaged in preparing the report. I committed to having the Report assessed by an independent planning expert and, on 8 March 2013, I published...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Repossessions (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is acutely conscious of the difficulties many households are facing in terms of mortgage arrears. Where any borrower, either from a local authority or from a private financial institution, is facing difficulties in meeting mortgage repayments, they should engage proactively and constructively with the lender to seek to achieve an agreed solution. The services of the Money...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested is not available in my Department but may be available from Meath County Council, which discharges the statutory function of allocating local authority housing in the county in accordance with the allocation scheme made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Expenditure (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 22 February 2013, I announced capital allocations to local authorities under the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability amounting to €42.750 million. This year I allocated local authorities the full amount of their contractual commitments, which in the case of Limerick City Council amounted to €149,046. The balance of the available funding was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government’s 2011 housing policy statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The review of the shared ownership scheme is nearing completion and I expect to publish the review report and recommendations in the coming weeks. In...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (2 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently published a Homelessness Policy Statement in which I outlined the Government's aim to end long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. The statement emphasises a housing-led approach which is about accessing permanent housing as the primary response to all forms of homelessness. The availability and supply of secure, affordable and adequate housing is essential in ensuring...

Topical Issue Debate: Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit (3 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, was established on 1 September 2004 as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The principal activities of the PRTB include the registration of private residential tenancies and the resolution of disputes between tenants and landlords, as well as the provision of...

Topical Issue Debate: Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit (3 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We all want to ensure the amendment is introduced as quickly as possible in order that the scheme can be established. I believe it will provide relief for the large number of families for whom deposits are crucial, in particular when moving home. It is hard to come up with lump sums at that time. To be deprived of one's deposit when one is entitled to it is a real difficulty for families...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (3 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities and the purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Details of the funding provided by my Department, under Section 10, for the years 2008 – 2012 in County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Domestic Violence Policy (3 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic abuse rests with the nister for Health and is delivered through the Health Service Executive. In addition Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which was established in June 2007 as an executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Road Improvement Schemes (3 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. The Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 is primarily the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality and I have no direct function in this regard. Furthermore, I have no function in relation to a planning authority as a roads authority as this is primarily a matter for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Hedge and Tree Height Restrictions (4 Jul 2013)

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 of nuisance available in respect of the branches or roots of a neighbour’s tree encroaching on one’s property, there is no civil law remedy in respect of the loss of light...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department wrote to planning authorities last month to bring to their attention and outline the potential implications of the judgment of the High Court in Wicklow County Council v. Fortune (judgment delivered on 6 June 2013). The case related to an application under Section 160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) requiring the demolition of an unauthorised dwelling in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Alternative Energy Projects (4 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: A foreshore lease for the development of a wind farm on the Codling Bank, off the Wicklow coast, was awarded by then the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on 15 November 2005. The lease application together with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was subjected to a comprehensive assessment by a range of technical experts who advised the Minister. This assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licences Appeals (4 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with section 2 of the Foreshore Act 1933, foreshore lease agreements provide for termination of the lease upon the occurrence of a range of termination events, which relate to the breach or non-observance by the lessee of the lease conditions.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (4 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 22 February 2013 I announced capital allocations to local authorities under the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability amounting to €42.750 million. This year I allocated local authorities the full amount of their contractual commitments, which in the case of Kildare City Council amounted to €1,723,752. The balance of the available funding was allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Anti-Social Behaviour (4 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: While action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána, there are a range of provisions in housing legislation to counter such activity in the residential sector. In the case of local authority housing, councils have the power to refuse to allocate, or to refuse to sell, a dwelling to a person engaged in anti-social behaviour and the power to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: As Minister my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of these schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which...