Results 8,441-8,460 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: On 14 May, 2014 the Government published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector. The strategy contains 75 Actions in total and my Department, together with the Housing Agency, will be involved in the delivery of a significant number of these. Under Action 8 of Construction 2020, a Social Housing Strategy is to be published by Q3 2014, setting out a vision for...

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

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

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Exemptions (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the household charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver.   Section 4(4)(b) and section 4(6) of the Act provide that a waiver from the charge applies in...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The primary functions of the Board are to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector. In accordance with the Act, the Board also has functions regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (4 Jun 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, I am acutely conscious of the difficulties caused by rising rents and the problem of sourcing suitable accommodation, especially in Dublin and other urban centres. The most recent data from the...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014, presented to Dáil Éireann on 7 May 2014, will, among other things, underpin a new tenant purchase scheme to replace the 1995 scheme for existing local authority houses, which closed for new applications at the end of 2012. The new scheme will be similar to the two incremental purchase schemes currently in operation, relating to...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Private rented dwellings must, by law, be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) which was established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. Under this legislation a tenancy must be registered within one month after the commencement of the tenancy. In all circumstances where the tenancy is being registered more than one month after the commencement of the tenancy...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to be present for the Committee Stage debate. On Second Stage I referred to this Bill as substantial legislation and a significant change in how we delivered housing support. I will briefly outline some of the issues covered in the amendments that I will move, particularly the additional aspects relating to the operation of the housing assistance payment, HAP, the legal...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 1: In page 10, line 28, to delete "the authority and the tenant" and substitute the following:"the authority is satisfied that the failure to make a repayment or pay rent on a due date was due to circumstances outside the household’s control and the authority and the tenant".These six amendments are proposed to update and harmonise the approach taken in the Bill to...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Tenants are advised to inform the local authorities of difficulties as soon as they arise. I know that tenants might not always do that but it would be the preferable course of action to take. I take on board the Deputy's point.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will be communicating regularly with them on all issues. We will probably have in place improved IT systems because of the introduction of the housing assistance payment, HAP, which will also facilitate that relationship.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 16, line 29, after "than" to insert ", where there is no joint tenant,".This is a minor amendment which will bring the provisions of section 12(12) of the Bill into line with section 19(4)(a) of the Bill which updates section 3(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 to empower a housing authority to apply in specified circumstances for an...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 18, lines 26 and 27, to delete "but a date so specified shall not be in respect of a date that is more than 6 months" and substitute "but the date so specified shall not be more than 6 months".This is a technical amendment to improve the readability of subsection (9) of section 13. Subsection (9) relates to a possession order in respect of a local authority...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 20, line 21, to delete "an employee" and substitute "an officer or employee".These amendments relate to section 14 which specifies the steps that a housing authority must take in order to enter an abandoned dwelling for the purposes of securing the property against vandalism or trespassers or making safe any electrical, gas or water supply in the dwelling. The...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 20, line 32, to delete "An employee" and substitute "An officer or employee".

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 20, line 39, to delete "an employee" and substitute "an officer or employee".

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 21, line 2, to delete "that employee" and substitute "a named officer or employee".

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 8: In page 21, line 3, to delete "employee" and substitute "officer or employee".

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: First, I agree with the Deputies that a multi-agency approach is appropriate. Unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment because it involves the granting of an exclusion order. Second, a balance must be struck between the rights of the respondents and the rights of the community. The adjudication of the balance to be struck in an individual case is most appropriately determined by the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We must find a mechanism to achieve what is sought by the Deputy, but I do not think that we can do so in this part of the Bill.