Results 9,381-9,400 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (25 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The current position is that applications by local authorities for funding from the Special Resolution Fund (SRF) are being assessed. A number of queries have been raised by the Department with local authorities in relation to certain of the applications. I am conscious of the limited time available to complete SRF projects within the current year and I am hopeful that my Department will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Status (25 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Draft schematic regeneration proposals for St. Teresa’s Gardens were developed by Dublin City Council and submitted to my Department in 2012. Since then, my Department has been liaising with the City Council to finalise the planning process and commence the demolition and refurbishment programme. In 2013, my Department approved the City Council's proposals for the retrofitting of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (25 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The functions conferred on me as nister in relation to the approval of proposals for the compulsory acquisition of land by local authorities were transferred under Section 214 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to An Bord Pleanála. I therefore have nofunction in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 725 to 728, inclusive, together. Section 35 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that a planning authority may refuse planning permission in a case where having regard to any information available to it, it is satisfied that the planning applicant or a connected person is not in compliance with a previous permission, has carried...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics to inform policy and these are available on. Kildare County Council reported 362 loans in arrears over 90 days in Q3 2013. While my Department collates and publishes statistics on loan arrears in local authorities these are not broken down by loan type. The information requested is thus not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The maintenance of public lighting systems and specifically the payment of electricity bills arising in housing developments, either finished or unfinished, remain the legal responsibility of developers/receivers until taken in charge by the relevant local authority. This is an on-going concern for residents, local authorities and my Department. Until taken in charge, housing developments...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government, on 17 December 2013, approved priority drafting of a Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill that will, among other things, underpin a new tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. I expect that the Bill will be enacted this year, following which I will prescribe in regulations the commencement date and the detailed terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Housing Land Availability Survey (HLAS) is an annual survey undertaken by my Department seeking information from local authorities to inform the publication of the amount of zoned residential land in their areas that is currently serviced. In 2013, my Department reviewed the HLAS approach taking account of the advent of and the need to reduce and rationalise the data gathering...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2013. Details regarding the review are available on my Department’s website In 2013, I asked the Housing Agency to conduct a standalone review of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (13 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Data relating to the local authority housing stock, including information on vacancy rates and the time taken to re-let properties, are collected annually as part of the Local Government Management Agency’s review of local authority service indicators. Electronic copies of the reports, including the most recent report for 2011, are available on the Local Government Management...

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is not the case.

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We did not say that.

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a pity we did not have such a database when the Deputy's party was in power.

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: We still have work to do to address the deficiencies left by the previous Government.

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: Some of the Deputy's proposals are good but he should remember who caused the current problems.

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a bit much-----

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation Rental Costs and Controls (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I agree that we need to learn from our neighbouring European countries. They have long-established stable private rental markets that make up a large percentage of their housing. We are not really at that stage yet but the amount of people living in rented accommodation is rising and I want to see that being stable for people. This is why I have opened the debate. The supply issue is...

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation Rental Costs and Controls (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I did announce a €58 million mainstream local authority housing programme yesterday. I agree with the Deputy that we need to ramp that up but I do not agree with him that this will solve the problem of rents in the private sector. We will always have a certain number of people who live in private rented accommodation and get support from the State but the problem is that other people...

Other Questions: Private Rented Accommodation Rental Costs and Controls (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I must agree with all the Deputies that I want to spend more money on social housing but we could not do it over the past five years. It was cut significantly during the lifetime of the previous Government and we had to cut it because of the deal with the troika which said that our capital budget was cut every year. There was nothing I could do about that. We have turned the corner. I...

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: I welcome the opportunity to open this important and timely debate on social housing supply and in particular I will focus my remarks on homelessness and the Government's firm ambition to eliminate long-term homelessness and rough sleeping by 2016. Deputies do not need to be reminded of the human and personal tragedy that the threat or reality of homelessness can trigger in a person's life....