Results 8,181-8,200 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (27 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government’s response to the recommendations. Regular meetings are held between my Department and local authorities under the auspices of the Committee. However, the management of issues...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (27 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Budget 2014 contains a special provision, in the form of a targeted €10m Special Resolution Fund (SRF), to assist further in addressing the legacy of unfinished housing developments. The SRF has been proposed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development Survey 2013 and, particularly, those developments...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together. Data relating to the local authority housing stock, including information on vacancy rates and the time taken to re-let properties, are compiled by the Local Government Management Agency as part of the annual local authority service indicators. Electronic copies of the reports, including the most recent report for 2012, which was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (27 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are two types of house purchase loan available from local authorities: standard annuity loans targeted at lower income first time buyers and those under the Home Choice Loan scheme which are available to qualifying middle income first time buyers aff ected by the “credit crunch”. The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. Since the late 1980s, close to 25,000 units of accommodation have been provided under capital funding schemes underpinned by 20 and 30 year mortgages. More recently, a scheme was introduced that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the compilation and funding of on-going maintenance programmes and minor adaptation works, is a matter for individual authorities, in this case Cork County Council. As part of my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated funding...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has received no submissions or requests from Longford County Council or other relevant development agencies for the designation of Longford town as a strategic development zone under Section 166 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). I have no plans to act in this regard at present.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Last month I announced the approval of some 56 social housing construction projects with an overall value of some €68 million under the Local Authority housing construction programme for 2014-2015. This new construction programme will deliver 449 new units of accommodation for people on the housing waiting list. Projects were selected for funding approval on the basis of the proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 will prescribe in regulations the commencement date and the detailed terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's 2011 Housing Policy Statement clearly outlines that the priority for Government is to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. Government is responding to these needs through a variety of mechanisms and more flexible funding models. To maximise the social housing gain from constrained resources, the social housing leasing initiative and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Last month I announced the approval of some 56 social housing construction projects with an overall value of some €68 million under the Local Authority housing construction programme for 2014-2015. This new construction programme will deliver 449 new units of accommodation for people on the housing waiting list. Projects were selected for funding approval on the basis of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Each housing authority is responsible, under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, for determining the rent for its dwellings, subject to complying with broad principles laid down by my Department, notably that the rent payable should be related to household income and that low-income households should pay a lower proportion of income in rent. No guidance has issued to housing authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Housing Survey (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The purpose of the National Housing Survey (NHS) is to track the extent and condition of unfinished housing developments. The most recent NHS carried out by my Department was in Quarter 3 of 2013. There were, at the time of the survey, 243 housing units and 40 apartments units recorded as vacant in Longford, and 249 housing units and 35 apartments units recorded as vacant in Westmeath....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The downturn in economic activity associated with the recession has resulted in significant numbers of shop closures and vacant units in town centres. Other factors, such as upward only rent reviews, parking charges, rising energy costs and on-line trading have also undermined the viability of small and medium-sized businesses in the retail sector, threatening the fabric of our urban...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: At its meeting on 7 May 2013, in line with the recommendation contained in the Final Report of the Mahon Tribunal, the Government approved proposals for the preparation of a new Planning and Development Bill to establish a new Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR). The OPR, which will be established with an independent corporate identity, will have three core functions. It will carry...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. My reply is general but perhaps I will address some of the specific points at the end. The priority the Government attaches to achieving greater integration between planning, housing and infrastructure provision is underpinned by the planning legislative and policy framework. It would be inappropriate for a planning authority to determine a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (1 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In the regional guidelines and the guidelines for development plans, all elements of infrastructure, including communications infrastructure, would be referenced. However, I take the Senator's point that if these are not provided for in a specific case, it presents a difficulty for householders. The relevant infrastructure should be included in the plans. If the Senator argues that...

Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (2 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. There are two issues to discuss in addressing the issues raised while bearing in mind that under section 30 of the Planning and Development Acts I am precluded from discussing individual developments which are matters for the appropriate planning authority - in this case Cork City Council. Legislation sets down a requirement for An Bord...

Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (2 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am sure Deputy Murphy will agree that we must ensure there is confidence in the planning process, that the process is transparent and that the right to object is respected.

Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (2 Apr 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is working on construction policy and will publish a strategy on the issue in the near future. Many planning issues are under consideration and all issues related to planning are kept under constant review. Planning legislation will also be introduced later in the year. However, I cannot provide any commitments on the issue of objectors living in a local area or having valid...