Results 8,841-8,860 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Senator is seeking to ensure that the local authority would source the houses for the HAP, and the consequential amendments are all related to that. That would be difficult for the local authorities to do insofar as at present those who are on rent supplement source their own accommodation. It would result in potential HAP recipients not being able to avail or take advantage of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I appreciate that Senators expressed genuine concerns. Similar concerns were expressed in the Dáil regarding people on HAP not losing their position on local authority waiting lists. I want to be as clear as I can with regard to that issue. Senator Reilly's first amendment deals with particular situations, such as where somebody is evicted due to unaffordable rents, and her second...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will answer Senator Zappone's question about the transfer list first. It was indicated to me in the Dáil that County Kildare does not have a transfer list. It is the only such local authority I know of but there may be others. If one applies for a transfer in Kildare, one is on the housing list in some way. It seems to me to make more sense that there would be separate transfer and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 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 to change the period set if it becomes impractical. While I accept the principle of the Senator's proposal to ensure there is minimum disruption or confusion for the household concerned, this must be balanced against practicality for the housing...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Again, I accept the principle of what the Senator is trying to achieve. Nevertheless, it replicates a provision in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, namely section 134, which requires the landlord of a dwelling to apply to the PRTB to register the tenancy of any dwelling. It is the statutory function of the PRTB under section 144 of that Act to ensure that tenancies in the private rented...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I must oppose this amendment. Aside from the disproportionate administrative burden that this would place both on the Department and on housing authorities, it must be accepted that the main focus of any rental limit review process is to ensure that pricing of maximum rental limits does not distort the market, while at the same time providing opportunities for tenants to acquire...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I accept the point that both Senators Reilly and Hayden make on the difficulty people have in accessing affordable rent in the private sector, and particularly those in receipt of rent supplement. As Senator Hayden mentioned, we are examining what controls can be applied to rent. There is a limited amount of control now and a landlord with an agreement with a tenant cannot increase rent by...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 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 to change the period set if it becomes impractical. I am of the view that two refusals, the current general rule, is a reasonable number so as not to disadvantage other households on the waiting list from being offered available accommodation by the...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I gave an undertaking in the Dáil that I would report back to the Cabinet committee after the end of the first wave of the HAP scheme. I will honour that and will report to the Cabinet sub-committee on the implementation of the HAP scheme. There are already significant structures in place to ensure the HAP scheme is properly managed with regard to development, implementation and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will reply to each amendment individually as they are quite detailed. The effect of section 53 is to meet a person's housing need on a continuous basis by providing a mandatory rental deduction facility whereby the person does not fall into arrears, which would also have the effect of reducing financial liability for local authorities for rent arrears. Where a mandatory direct deduction...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The intention, which I share, of amendments Nos. 41 and 42 is very positive, but some of the proposals in these amendments are not under my remit. The specific reference in amendment No. 41 to the Domestic Violence Act 1996 comes under the stewardship of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. While I am happy to discuss what is proposed in this amendment with her, I...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are elements in housing and justice. I would particularly like to raise one area with the Department of Justice and Equality. By and large, it seems that in the current system the victims of violence and sometimes the children - it can be a male as well as a female victim - are the ones who must leave home while the alleged perpetrator, at that stage, stays in the home. I do not know...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The court would play a role in determining the arrangement and in that sense it is a matter for justice legislation. We will examine elements of housing legislation because I acknowledge that this matter is related. We have got better at cross-departmental actions in a variety of areas but this is one area where some work needs to be done.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Moran for raising this issue. I know of her strong commitment in this area. I am responding to her on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I am pleased to outline the position on placements for school leavers who need continuing supports from the health sector. While the Government does not comment on individual cases, I wish to assure the Senator that...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will convey them to the Minister.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and thank the Senator for raising this issue. Both the Minister and the Department are very much aware of the need to provide permanent accommodation for Gaelscoil Teach na Giúise, a school established to serve both a demographic and diversity need in the Firhouse area of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will convey the Senator's points to the new Minister for Education and Skills-----

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----as the current Minister has indicated he will not stay in the job. The Department is very anxious to proceed as soon as possible. I agree with the Senator that it is not suitable to have children in a hall for any length of time.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Wind Energy Guidelines (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this issue. Proposals for wind energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are generally made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála. In the case of proposals...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Wind Energy Guidelines (8 Jul 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand that people on all sides of the political divide want certainty on this, which is why we are working as fast as we can on the guidelines. We received a huge number of submissions and we must give them due consideration. The guidelines will be issued as soon as possible. I cannot give the Senator an actual date.