Results 8,641-8,660 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Durkan for his comments. The Housing Agency produced some fairly specific figures recently on projected needs over the next number of years. As I stated, work is also being done on what can be done for people in private rented accommodation and particularly the lower end of that sector. We know the number of people are on various schemes and systems, as well as the waiting...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The housing summit will be held on Friday and is very much concerned with looking for proposals and ideas. I am sure the Deputy will have an opportunity to feed into that. The strategic investment bank will be able to lend to builders. We have set it up. I could refer to history although I really do not want to do that but the Deputy raised the issue of funding. He knows very well that...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is a fact. Very few social houses were built at a time when there was a huge amount of construction going on-----

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----in what are now unfinished housing estates in various parts of the country.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: If the Deputy is going to criticise us for not having capital to spend on housing, I am going to tell him why that is.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We have commenced mainstream construction but the quickest way to provide houses this year and next is to address the empty, boarded-up local authority houses. That is why we have directed a significant sum for this year and next year to those, which will bring more than 1,700 units back into use. Then we will start construction. As soon as we can get funding, we will construct more. We...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We have commenced that discussion and will continue it in conjunction with my Government colleagues. The strategic investment bank will be able to lend to builders, there is extant planning permission for a large number of units throughout the country but particularly in the greater Dublin area, including County Kildare, I hope. We want to see the construction industry up and running....

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: One of the criteria that apply when the voluntary agencies receive funding is that the housing has to be provided for social housing use. In addition, they are not for profit. Therefore, those houses are there for social housing purposes.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I would like to respond to the general issue about paying the banks that was raised by a few people. Unfortunately, there was such a thing as the bank guarantee and there was such a thing as the troika agreement. We were constrained by those matters. I do not want to go back over that again.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is one of the reasons we have not been able to spend a whole lot of capital State money on house construction.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I repeat that the strategic investment bank, which was raised by somebody, will be lending to builders to build houses. We have applied for €100 million from the European Investment Bank, about which Deputy Joan Collins asked. We expect to get an answer in the late summer. The funding will mainly go towards refurbishing local authority flats in the cities. Should we be successful in...

Other Questions: Local Authority Functions (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 87 and 104 together. Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, sets out the process by which local authorities can take in charge housing estates. When taking an estate in charge under the terms of this provision, a planning authority must take in charge any roads, open spaces, car parks, sewers, water mains or drains within the...

Other Questions: Local Authority Functions (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is important to reiterate that there are no legal impediments to the taking in charge of water infrastructure by local authorities, as clarified by the circular that was issued. In regard to legislative changes, I expect any such changes to be included in the forthcoming planning Bill, which will be enacted in the autumn session.

Other Questions: Local Authority Functions (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy said, the rule is that the local authority must if requested to do so by the majority of the owners of housing units in a specific development initiate the procedures. The majority of owners in a particular area is not particularly onerous, in terms of the taking in charge of-----

Other Questions: Local Authority Functions (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is in the interest of people living in a housing estate to have it taken in charge. The intention here is not to put obstacles in the way of the taking in charge of a housing estate. The deeds of a house are normally held by a solicitor and it should not be particularly onerous to get them. We are reviewing planning legislation and if we need to look at this again, we will do so. The...

Other Questions: Local Authority Functions (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will look at the legislation to see if there are difficulties with it. As I said to Deputy Cowen, we will bring planning legislation before the House later in the year. The intention was never to make this difficult but to facilitate the process because as we all agree, it is in everybody's interest to take estates in charge as soon as possible.

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Halligan for raising this issue which I am taking on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore. The Government has consistently made clear its concerns about the use of administrative detention by the Israeli authorities. This is a practice which Israel has resorted to for many years and the numbers so detained have fluctuated...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is important we use all the ways we can to raise this issue through the EU, the UN or directly with the Israeli Government, as well as the group visiting Ireland referred to by Deputy Halligan, which is obviously condemning it and doing everything it can to change the system. I will bring Deputy Halligan’s views to the attention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The purpose of prescribing the appropriate period in regulation as opposed to primary legislation is to allow, if needed for flexibility, an opportunity to change the period set if it becomes impractical. I am not against the idea of setting a timescale but it is more practical to put it into regulations because it is then easier to change if required. While I accept the principle of the...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputy Murphy has raised the issue of staffing on a number of occasions and we are certainly aware of it. We want to ensure people are not held up and can get into accommodation. We are speaking about people on rent supplement at present. I acknowledge the inspection system is not as good as it should be. In the system in Dublin, to which Deputy Ellis referred, there was a particularly...