Results 8,901-8,920 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 484, 485, 487 and 488 together. On 14 May 2014, the Government published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector . Under Action 1 of the Strategy a National Framework for Housing Supply is to be established on a statutory footing with an annual National Statement of Projected Housing Supply and Demand published every June. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are two types of house purchase loan available from local authorities: standard annuity loans targeted at lower income first time buyers and loans under the Home Choice Loan scheme which are available to qualifying middle income first time buyers. The terms and conditions governing the operation, including eligibility terms, of annuity mortgages and the Home Choice Loan are set out...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Expenditure (17 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: On 16 January 2014, I announced capital allocations to local authorities amounting to €38.4m under the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability.  The schemes are funded by 80% recoupments available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. I have increased the level of funding available for the grants by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (12 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including the number and value of local authority mortgages with a breakdown of those in arrears. The statistics are available on my Department’s website at: by clicking “Mortgage Data/Arrears in Local Authorities” under the Housing Loans contents. My Department issued guidelines to local authorities for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (12 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Part 4 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Housing (Tenant Purchase) Regulations 2011 provide the legislative underpinning for the scheme for purchase of local authority apartments by tenants and I have no proposals to amend these provisions . I intend, later this year, to prescribe the form of, and the terms and conditions to be specified in, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (12 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes, designed to meet these needs, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department's role is to ensure that there is an adequate...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Efforts are under way to try to find such a fund or mechanism. However, we have the difficulty of the Government balance sheet and that obstacle is being examined. Reference was made to the general supply issue. The Government's construction strategy is designed to increase both public and private supply and I understand there are over 70 action points in that, some 30 of which are within...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am not in any way minimising the issues the Deputies are raising. I am very much aware that there are people who are finding it extremely difficult to find accommodation. I could blame it on the recession, on Fianna Fáil or whatever, but it is the reality and I recognise that. It has been happening over a long number of years. The housing lists were building up even during the...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We can all describe the situation, but what we have to do is try to find solutions. That is why we introduced the preventative measure which I mentioned a number of times in this House and which was made public over the airwaves last night and today. It applies to the greater Dublin area, and I appreciate that it does not solve the problems referred to by Deputies Cowen and Murphy. The...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----with the assistance of Threshold. It is a response to what has been described to us as an urgent issue. People were losing their homes because rents were being increased and they were no longer meeting the cap requirements. The measure is being put in place to deal with that issue. In terms of the specific amendments, under the rent supplement scheme people source their own...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----which I believe is the correct terminology. There is nothing in that scheme that states one is number whatever on a list; that is not required.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: In my local authority there is no list that puts a number on one's back, as in one is in such-and-such a place.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understood that was changed in the Dublin area. Perhaps it has not.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My understanding is that there is a scheme of letting priority and that if a person is in HAP, they are entitled to transfer into a local authority house when one appropriate to their needs becomes available.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Is it not correct that every local authority has a transfer list and a transfer system? I am suggesting that the person is eligible.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: They will be eligible to be transferred into a local authority house.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The fact that someone is on a waiting list and has been in receipt of rent supplement for a number of years does not solve his or her problem. He or she is still waiting and still does not have a State supplied house.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Housing supply will solve the problem and that is the issue that has been facing all of us over a number of years. I said that if one is on the HAP scheme, one will be entitled to transfer to a local authority house.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It depends on what one calls the list.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is not time-based in every local authority.