Results 8,821-8,840 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: By all means let them do so but that may not be true. In some parts of the country people are on long-term rent supplement and if they were offered a council house in the morning they may have a serious problem because they may not want a council house.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: In the area which Deputy Boyd Barrett represents, most people would tick the box. Some may be happy to stay in a private rented dwelling as they may like it. I am expressing the issue as clearly as possible. These people will be entitled to go on a list for a council house without losing-----

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I can act with statutory powers of direction and I want the process to be as simple as possible for people.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Not everybody wants a council house. The amendment originally put down by Deputy Cowen would mean people would not have social housing support. That is how the discussion arose. It is not correct to say people would not have social housing support as they do.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a transfer list.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I did not say that.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: The rules can be changed.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: No. They will be taken off the housing list but they can go on a transfer list.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: If they want to transfer-----

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I said they could access local authority housing.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I did not say that. I said it is paid the same way.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I did not say that either.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Social housing support.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: There will be an ongoing review process over the next six months because it is the pilot phase. Once this legislation is passed, which I hope it will be before the summer recess, it will give us the legislative base on which to develop pilot schemes in the other seven local authorities. An ongoing review is built in during the course of the pilot phase which is a learning process. On...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to clarify that a reasonable offer from a housing authority must be in the householder's area of choice and must meet their housing needs, so it should be in their area of choice.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: That is what is prescribed.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: That is the first thing. Secondly, under the current regulations it is two refusals, not one. I know the Deputy is proposing three but it currently provides for two refusals and it is in the householder's area of choice. The purpose of prescribing the appropriate period in regulations, as opposed to primary legislation, is to allow for flexibility to change should that become appropriate....

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: A number of issues have been raised but some of them are matters for local authorities rather than for me to define.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: For example, my Department does not tell local authorities what they should describe as areas of choice. My Department does not tell Cork City Council that it has to have these particular three areas from which a choice must be made. That is not defined by my Department, it is decided at local level. We are seeking more local autonomy in many respects, so that certainly needs to be...