Results 9,701-9,720 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Application Numbers (15 Jan 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: The changes recently notified to Local Authorities only apply to new applications received after 1 January 2014. Any person who applied for a grant prior to January 2014 will have t heir application processed in accordance with the guidelines in place at that time. These applicants will not be affected by the changes to the terms of the schemes. The changes were made on foot of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grants Funding (15 Jan 2014)

Jan O'Sullivan: A review group was established by my Department to examine the terms and conditions governing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Membership of the group included members of both the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA), the Housing Practitioner Network, Local Authority housing personnel and officials from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: NAMA Social Housing Provision (19 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: NAMA continues to work closely with my Department, and with the Housing Agency, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. To date, NAMA has identified almost 4,370 residential properties, controlled by its debtors and receivers, under this initiative as being potentially available for social housing. Demand has been confirmed by the local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (19 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I expect to continue to make significant progress in 2014 in addressing the legacy issue of unfinished housing developments. I chair a National Co-ordinating Committee, which was established as a response to the report of the advisory group on unfinished housing developments and which has harnessed the expertise and goodwill of the construction and banking sectors, local authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Grant Payments (19 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, grants are available to assist households to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. Three separate schemes are available; the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (19 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The provision of new homes generally, other than those provided for social housing, involve commercial considerations in which I, as Minister with responsibility for social housing, have no direct function. Investment in housing for private sale is primarily a matter for the market. My Department is in the process of assessing the amount of residentially zoned undeveloped land in the Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (19 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a matter for each housing authority to determine the eligibility of individual households for social housing support, in accordance with section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 made thereunder. Regulation 22(1) of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 provides that a household with alternative...

Planning and Development (Transparency and Consumer Confidence) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Like everybody else in the House I commend Deputy Catherine Murphy on bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. I reiterate the comments of the Minister, Deputy Hogan, last night in that the Government will not be opposing it. There was much agreement on all sides of the House about the importance of the issue despite, as Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has noted, a lack of media interest....

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I know that the Minister was hoping to get back in time to reply to the debate, so I am not sure if it is in order for me to share my time with him if he gets back into the Chamber.

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: On behalf of the Minister, I thank everybody who has participated in the debate. There has been a wide and strong interest in this issue, particularly from Deputies on all sides of the House who know from their constituents of the awful trauma that has arisen for people who suffered from pyrite in their homes. I know that this problem has been continuing for a number of years. I also wish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy, and those data are available on my Department’s website. Data on the total numbers of extensions to planning permissions granted by the planning authorities on an annual basis are included in these data; however, statistics for the average period for such...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Much of the information provided by a planning applicant on a planning application form and, where relevant, in response to a further information request, is checked by the planning authority in the course of its consideration of the application. The giving of false information by a developer could lead to a permission granted being deemed invalid by the courts. I have no current...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (18 Dec 2013)

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 Act. Details regarding the review are available on my Department's website ; the period for public submissions closed on 27 September 2013 and submissions made by a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics and data on the number of affordable housing units broken down by local authority area are included within this range. While my Department collates and publishes statistics on loan arrears in local authorities these are not broken down by loan type and I am unable, therefore, to provide specific data for affordable housing arrears.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, along with other Departments and State Bodies, is currently participating in a Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht-led Steering Group to consider a number of relevant issues, including planning aspects, in developing a National Landscape Strategy for Ireland The assignment of ministerial responsibilities is a matter for the Taoiseach, who has assigned lead...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Standards (18 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Oldcourt Estate in Bray was built by Wicklow County Counc il in 1972 in accordance with the building standards which obtained at that time. A refurbishment programme carried by Wicklow County was completed in 1988. Following a number of fires in the Oldcourt Estate which resulted in fatalities , Wicklow County Council engage d consultants to carry out a condition survey of houses in the...

Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Guidelines (17 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and the support of his party for renewable energy projects which he emphasised at the beginning of his contribution. It is important that I clarify two things. First, what I issued last week were not new guidelines on wind energy developments but proposed draft revisions to the existing 2006 wind energy development guidelines. They run to over 100...

Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Guidelines (17 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I want to separate what I am doing as Minister of State with responsibility for planning and what Deputy Pat Rabbitte is doing as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. These are planning guidelines and the economic side is not a matter for me or my Department. My first responsibility is to ensure we have sustainable planning guidelines and balance the needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is open to any person or household to apply to a housing authority for an assessment of their housing need. It is a matter solely for the housing authority concerned to determine whether an applicant for social housing support is eligible for and in need of that support in accordance with the provisions of section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, regulations made...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The law in relation to taking in charge of estates is set out in section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended. Planning authorities’ taking in charge policies should have been developed in accordance with recommendations made to local authorities in circular letter PD 1/08 which were later incorporated into Chapter 8.8 of the Sustainable Residential Development in...