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

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I agree with much of what the Deputy argues in that I do not want an escalation to continue because the proportion of people who rent in the private sector has been escalating over a good number of years and the number of people on rent support is a very large part of the total number of people who rent in the private sector. Nobody of the Deputy's political persuasion or mine would see this...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Another area where the State can intervene is in the area of rent control and we are considering this option. The PRTB legislation provides for a tenancy agreement or a lease with a landlord whereby rents can only increase by market rates, but market rents are rising very fast. I refer to the option of a European type of system which could be of assistance and it is being examined.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no problem with the principles but I think the period of three months suggested in the amendment is very short for all sorts of reasons as I have described. The issue of flexibility was launched today in the four Dublin regional authorities. It is not in place in all regions but we need to move towards having it in place in the rest of the country. Having flexibility in cases where...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I can always look at these issues when the Bill goes before the Seanad. However, I do not envisage accepting anything like three months because in my view that is too short a time period.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Again, while I understand what the Deputy is attempting to achieve, under the residential tenancies legislation there is a legal requirement to register all properties that a landlord would be registering. Consequently, landlords have this legal requirement and data sharing now is getting rid of what the Deputy described as the messing, that is, when landlords do not register. It is through...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: One issue is that the State will continue to have a substantial proportion of the rented properties, estimated at approximately 33%, whether through HAP or through long-term rent supplement. However, the main focus of any rental limit review process must be to ensure that pricing of maximum rental limits does not distort the market, while at the same time providing opportunities for tenants...

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...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no problem with the principle of what Deputy Ellis is trying to do, but it replicates a provision under section 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, 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 the Act to ensure tenancies in the private rented sector are...

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...

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.

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: 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...