Results 7,561-7,580 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----consequently, it will not affect anyone.

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: While it will be in the budget for next year-----

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It will be in the budget for next year because it will not be paid at the time it normally would be paid. However, it is simply a straightforward accounting exercise of moving a payment from one year to the next.

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government has been quite upfront about this, what it is and precisely how it will affect the budgets.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

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

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: First, the money for homelessness next year will not be cut and will be the same amount as for this year. The Department works closely with the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum in particular regarding the issues that arise in Dublin. The Department was determined that it would maintain the budget for this year, for which there was rightly a strong campaign. In addition, there...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I want to absolutely reject what Deputy Nulty said about spin and bluff. First, we are working with approved housing bodies on a regulatory framework and we have agreed a voluntary framework with them which eventually will move to a statutory framework. Second, we have applied for funding from the European Union under the JESSICA fund and we hope to get an answer on that soon. Such funding...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----and considering the difficulties in the economy, we have a done a very good job in maintaining budgets in the housing area. Admittedly there are huge problems, but it is simply unfair to suggest that we are not addressing them.

Other Questions: Fire Safety Regulations (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I want to absolutely reject what Deputy Nulty said about spin and bluff. First, we are working with approved housing bodies on a regulatory framework and we have agreed a voluntary framework with them which eventually will move to a statutory framework. Second, we have applied for funding from the European Union under the JESSICA fund and we hope to get an answer on that soon. Such funding...

Other Questions: Fire Safety Regulations (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----and considering the difficulties in the economy, we have a done a very good job in maintaining budgets in the housing area. Admittedly there are huge problems, but it is simply unfair to suggest that we are not addressing them.

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA continue to work together with housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards identifying suitable NAMA housing units and bringing them into social housing use. It continues to be my Department's objective to maximise the delivery of social housing using all of the resources available. To the end of September 2013, 4,319 units have been...

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The table Deputy Cowen will be getting will give the number of identified houses or apartments for each county, the number suitable and the number completed or contracted. It will not give the reason some are deemed unsuitable. I do not know whether we can get that information for the Deputy-----

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----but we can try. To give the Deputy an example, in Cavan, 47 were identified and 35 were identified in Leitrim. None of those were deemed suitable whereas in Galway city, 117 were identified and all 117 were considered suitable. In the Deputy's county of Offaly, 79 were identified and 64 were considered suitable. I do not know the exact reasons the particular ones were not suitable in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Schemes Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 39 together. The €25 million investment in energy efficiency forms part of a €50 million three-year energy efficiency investment programme for local authority homes, under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme. It is a key part of the Government's €150 million capital investment in the economy over 2013-14. This...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Spatial Strategy (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was Ireland's first national strategic spatial planning framework. It provides the spatial vision and principles to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions through the co-ordinated development of nine gateway cities and towns, and nine hub towns, together with complementary policies...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 152 together. Earlier in 2013 I published the Government's 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 23 together. The Abridged Estimate for my Department for 2014 includes a capital provision of €3 million for Traveller-specific accommodation in 2014. While this represents a decrease of €1 million compared to 2013, I do not expect that this will have a major impact on activity in 2014 as the current round of Traveller Accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Finance Agency Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, including authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. Local authority borrowing is subject to the provisions of the Local Government Act 2001; borrowing is a reserved function under Section 106 and requires the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: New social housing supply is delivered through a range of measures under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP), including the construction and acquisition of social housing units directly by local authorities and by approved housing bodies, the Social Housing Leasing Initiative, the Capital Advance Leasing Facility and the Rental Accommodation Scheme. Louth County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In March 2012, the Government approved in principle the transfer of responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with an established housing need from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to local authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). On 18 July 2013, the Government approved the introduction of HAP including the provision of funding to the local authorities to...