Results 7,221-7,240 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grants Expenditure (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 367 and 369 together. 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, and the balance of the available funding was allocated on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Enforcement (9 Jul 2013)

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 as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the sector. The PRTB replaces the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Funding (9 Jul 2013)

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: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 383 together. Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, funding is provided to local authorities for the construction or acquisition and refurbishment of dwellings to meet social housing need. On 1 March, I announced details of the capital allocations to local authorities in respect of the Social Housing Investment Programme...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 applies to estates which have been granted planning permission and includes the construction of two or more houses (which as defined in the Act includes apartments) and the provision of new roads, open spaces, car parks, sewers, watermains or drains. In relation to estates which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Under section 41 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the duration of a planning permission (referred to as “the appropriate period”) is the period specified in the permission, or 5 years, whichever is longer. Section 42 provides that an application to extend the duration of the appropriate period must be made prior to the expiration of that period. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 394 together. While, as Minister, I am specifically precluded under the Planning and Development Acts, as amended, from involvement in any particular matter with which a planning authority or the Board may be concerned, I am aware of the decision in this case and of the comments of the Board Inspector on the guidelines. My Department is studying the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grants Funding (9 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, and the balance of the available funding was allocated on the basis of each authority’s share of the new...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has no function in relation to the operation of property management companies. The Multi Unit Developments Act 2011, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, regulates the management and operation of such companies. Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires that where a development for which permission is granted...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has no function in relation to the operation of property management companies. The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, regulates the management and operation of such companies.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I also convey the apologies of the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, to the select sub-committee. Unfortunately, he is indisposed and cannot be present. In his absence he has asked me to make some general comments on the Department's vote for 2013 before turning to housing expenditure, which accounts for almost 50% of the Revised Estimate. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank members for their questions which I will go through one at a time. As there were a few common themes, I can refer to them as I go along. Deputy Brian Stanley's main query concerned the cost-effectiveness of leasing. He referred to a figure of 300. That is the number of units delivered through the CAS. The Deputy knows the kind of strictures on us in terms of the public...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: About three years ago.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It does need to be looked at again.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have been monitoring the amount of leasing units local authorities are acquiring and we will keep monitoring it. I have indicated publicly on a number of occasions that I would like to return to more construction when the economy allows it. We will certainly be looking for opportunities in that regard, particularly in stimulus programmes considered by the Government. We are already in a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand the point the Deputy is making.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: They will facilitate us to house families for 20 years over the lifetime of a lease. That is a significant length of time. I take the Deputy's point that we need to keep the matter under review and that we cannot keep on leasing more and more properties without examining the ongoing cost to the State and we will do this. For the moment, it is considered to be a cost-effective way of...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: They do in the case of mortgages. We are looking it as an option and, again, it is to do with value for money. I want to ensure we target these grants as well as we can. They are of great assistance, particularly for those who otherwise might be forced to go into a nursing home and would not be able to go back to their own home. Socially and economically, it makes complete sense to have...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can feel a circular coming.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are all aware of this happening. There was a departmental retrofitting scheme under which up to €35,000 could be provided for a void house to bring it up to a BER rating of C1. It was said units might have been left for that reason. This year we changed the scheme to allow the money to be used in occupied houses too. It was considered that it was not fair that a local authority...