Results 7,941-7,960 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently undertaking a targeted review of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006 focusing on the issues of noise, proximity and shadow flicker. Draft revised guidelines were published by my Department on 11 December 2013 for the purposes of public consultation. All interested parties are welcome to make written submissions during the consultation period, the closing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 113 together. This time last year I signalled my intention to review the Suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in order to target the grants at those in greatest need, spread the available resources as widely as possible and ensure greater fairness in their operation. The changes were made on foot of the recommendations of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established in September 2004 under the Residential Tenancies Act. For the first six years the PRTB received Exchequer funding but has operated on a self-financing basis since 2010. The PRTB’s funding is derived primarily from a proportion of the fee income accruing from tenancy registrations, as set down by Ministerial Order. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 441, 442, 449 and 471 together. The Government, on 17 December 2013, approved priority drafting of a Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill that will, among other things, underpin a new tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines.  I expect that the Bill will be enacted this year, following which I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Data (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which is administered by the local authorities, grants are available to assist households to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. Three separate schemes are available : (i) Housing Adaptation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 42 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 was amended in 2010 to provide for the extension of the duration of planning permission even where substantial works had not been completed, or the development had not even commenced, in cases where the planning authority is satisfied that there were considerations of a commercial, economic or technical nature beyond the control of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In terms of delivery of new social housing in 2014, I expect the final output across all social housing programmes to be in the region of 5,000 new housing units. I recently indicated a return to modest levels of new social housing construction over the next two years. I expect up to one thousand new starts over that period. Some 400 of these will be delivered under the local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Rental Accommodation Scheme local authorities enter into contractual arrangements on behalf of tenants with accommodation providers, primarily in the private rented sector, to secure medium to long-term availability of rented accommodation. The lease on these units can vary from 1 year to over 10 years. Accommodation provided under the Scheme is governed by the terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested regarding social housing supports is set out in the following table. It is not possible to provide a breakdown by local authority area at this time. Delivery method Number Rental Accommodation Scheme 2,500 Leasing, including: 400 NAMA sourced properties and 350 Mortgage to Rent Scheme 1,200 Deinstitutionalisation Programme - new Units for people...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Coastal Protection (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Coastal protection works above the high water line are considered to be "development" for the purposes of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and therefore generally require planning permission. In the event that the works are to be carried out by a local authority, they will not require planning permission, but will require the approval of the elected members of the local authority, or,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 482 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 488 together. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) commenced in late 2005 and to the end of December 201 3 some 47,911 households have been transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS and other social housing options. In 2012 there were 5,451 transfers with 4,701 transfers in 2013. My Department does not hold information on the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In order to ensure that proposed adaptations and extensions under the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability scheme represent the most appropriate and cost-effective way of meeting the long-term nee ds of individual applicants, local authorities or the applicants themselves should obtain Occupational Therapist assessment of the proposed works. In cases where Occupational...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Feb 2014)

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 number of applications for extension of time under Section 42 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 are included in this range and are broken down by local authority area. Data...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Land Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As Minister for Housing and Planning, my role in relation to the planning system is to oversee the provision and updating of the planning legislative and policy framework, including as articulated through statutory planning guidelines, to secure the proper planning and sustainable development of the country as a whole, including urban areas. While responsibility for the planning of cities,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electricity Transmission Network (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no role in commenting on plans other than, under the Planning and Development Act 2000, the development plans and local area plans prepared by planning authorities. Nature conservation comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. If and when the proposed developments referred to in the question become the subject of a planning application...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Eligibility (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The General Scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions ) Bill was approved by Government on 17 December 2013, and will provide a legislative basis for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). HAP is being designed so as to bring all of the social housing services provided by the State together under the local authority system, with local authorities being responsible for all households...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Planning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of trees, nor does it make any particular provision for remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. Complaints relating to matters such as trees or shrubs overhanging a property are normally addressed, where necessary, under civil law between the parties concerned. I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Regulation 22(1) of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 provides that a household with alternative accommodation that would meet its housing need is ineligible for social housing support. Paragraph (2) of the Regulation clarifies that paragraph (1) does not operate to exclude from eligibility for social housing support an applicant who owns accommodation that is occupied by his or...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (4 Feb 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 477, 480 and 486 together. I expect that in the region of 5,000 new social housing units will be provided in 2014. These units will be delivered through a range of mechanisms including through continued investment in leasing and the Rental Accommodation Scheme, the completion of existing capital programmes and mortgage to rent arrangements and the continued...