Results 8,361-8,380 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector. My Department conducted a review of the Act in 2009 which included a specific focus on whether the Act best supports the PRTB’s key...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Loans (1 May 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 affected by the "credit crunch". The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity mortgages and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are currently 10 applications for licences to harvest seaweed under the Foreshore Act 1933 before my Department. These applications are from both individual and commercial applicants and are at various stages of the assessment process. Of the 10 applications, 4 are deemed to be sufficient for assessment purposes and are available to view on my Department’s website at; The public...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information requested was compiled as part of the 2012 National Housing Survey and can be downloaded from the Housing Agency’s website by clicking 2012 Individual County Figures at the following link: .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 133 together. 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 is designed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The finalisation of any outstanding planning related matters affecting the development concerned are a matter for Kildare County Council and I have no function in such matters. Following the insertion of subsection (2A) into section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, by the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, planning authorities are not prevented from taking in charge...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a tenancy deposit protection scheme. On foot of this commitment I asked the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) to commission research on such a scheme and to report back to me with recommendations in that regard. The subsequent report assessed a number of different options for delivery of a deposit protection scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Rental Costs and Controls (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The private rented sector is an increasingly important element of the housing market, with the proportion of households in the sector almost doubling in the period 2006-2011. Against this background, the growing evidence of increasing rents, particularly in Dublin, is a cause for concern. The recent publication of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) rent index for the fourth...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Some €35 million is being set aside for a programme of works under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) which provides funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) of up to 100% of the approved costs of accommodation for people with specific categories of housing need, including older persons, persons with a disability, homeless persons and victims of domestic violence....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (1 May 2014)

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 Acts 2000-2013. Details regarding the review are avail able on my Department’s website: . In 2013, I asked the Housing Agency to conduct a standalone review...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 138 together. The report on the 2011 Housing Needs Assessment contains details on waiting list numbers for each local authority which were recorded from 1993 to 2011 under the tri-annual social housing needs assessment carried out under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1988. The report is available on my Department’s website at . The latest social...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: On 16 January 2014 I announced details of the capital allocations under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability . Funding was increased in 2014 to €38.4 million and every local authority received increased funding for grants compared to 2013. So far, some €3 million of the 2014 provision has been drawn down by local authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (1 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I commenced a public consultation in December 2013 on proposed “draft” revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Guidelines focussing specifically on the issues of noise, setbacks and shadow flicker. These draft revisions propose: - The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments; - A mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (6 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I join the Taoiseach and Deputy Martin in extending my sympathy, and that of the Labour Party, to the Clohessy family on the death of Peadar. The first thing to say about the late Peadar Clohessy is that he exemplified what is best in public representatives across the political divide in the context of his genuine commitment to serving his community and to doing his best for the people he...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (6 May 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 is designed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development Survey 2013 and, particularly, those developments not...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Criteria (6 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Accommodation provided under the Rental Accomodation Scheme (RAS) is governed by the terms of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended. The Act provides the main regulatory framework for the private rented residential sector and provides for security of tenure. The grounds upon which a tenancy in the private rented residential sector may be legally terminated are clearly set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Scheme (6 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The claw-back provision under section 99 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, is intended to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house to the detriment of the objectives of the schemes. However, where a person is selling and the clawback amount payable would reduce the proceeds of resale below the initial price actually paid, the legislation provides for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Standards (6 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 1 February 2013, Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 came into effect for all residential rented accommodation. Responsibility for enforcement of minimum standards rests with local authorities. The revised standards in the 2008 Regulations were based on a review of minimum standards dating back to 1993 which tolerated very basic facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (6 May 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 loans under the Home Choice Loan scheme which are available to qualifying middle income first time buyers. The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity mortgages and the Home Choice Loan are set out...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (6 May 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Capital allocations under the various measures contained in my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme for 2014 were notified to local authorities on a number of dates over the past three months. Details of the allocations to South Dublin County Council are set out in the table. MEASURE 2014 ALLOCATION Local Authority Social Housing €5,925,293 Local...