Results 9,921-9,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----and considering the difficulties in the economy, we have a done a very good job in maintaining budgets in the housing area. Admittedly there are huge problems, but it is simply unfair to suggest that we are not addressing them.

Other Questions: Fire Safety Regulations (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I want to absolutely reject what Deputy Nulty said about spin and bluff. First, we are working with approved housing bodies on a regulatory framework and we have agreed a voluntary framework with them which eventually will move to a statutory framework. Second, we have applied for funding from the European Union under the JESSICA fund and we hope to get an answer on that soon. Such funding...

Other Questions: Fire Safety Regulations (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----and considering the difficulties in the economy, we have a done a very good job in maintaining budgets in the housing area. Admittedly there are huge problems, but it is simply unfair to suggest that we are not addressing them.

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA continue to work together with housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards identifying suitable NAMA housing units and bringing them into social housing use. It continues to be my Department's objective to maximise the delivery of social housing using all of the resources available. To the end of September 2013, 4,319 units have been...

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The table Deputy Cowen will be getting will give the number of identified houses or apartments for each county, the number suitable and the number completed or contracted. It will not give the reason some are deemed unsuitable. I do not know whether we can get that information for the Deputy-----

Other Questions: NAMA Portfolio Issues (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----but we can try. To give the Deputy an example, in Cavan, 47 were identified and 35 were identified in Leitrim. None of those were deemed suitable whereas in Galway city, 117 were identified and all 117 were considered suitable. In the Deputy's county of Offaly, 79 were identified and 64 were considered suitable. I do not know the exact reasons the particular ones were not suitable in...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have to hand a list by county of those units that are considered suitable. It is part of an answer to another question tabled by Deputy Troy.

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is a variety of reasons. They may be in parts of the country in which there already is an oversupply of NAMA units, which are not in places where people are seeking social housing. Some may not be suitable for other reasons and may not be appropriate housing. While there is a variety of reasons, the Department must rely on local authorities to make these judgments and assessments....

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 148 together. The capital loan and subsidy scheme, CLSS, was introduced in 1992 for the purposes of providing long-term mortgage finance from the Housing Finance Agency, HFA, to facilitate the provision, by approved housing bodies, of standard rented accommodation for low-income families. The scheme is administered by the local authorities and...

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: To clarify, this is simply an accounting exercise whereby something the Department would have paid in December now is being paid in January because the amount is not actually due until the end of January. It will be a once-off change for this year but in the future, the money that is owed for the last six months of each year will be paid in the January of the following year and-----

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: -----consequently, it will not affect anyone.

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: While it will be in the budget for next year-----

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It will be in the budget for next year because it will not be paid at the time it normally would be paid. However, it is simply a straightforward accounting exercise of moving a payment from one year to the next.

Other Questions: Housing Finance Agency Funding (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government has been quite upfront about this, what it is and precisely how it will affect the budgets.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. I am determined to ensure the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential to tailor...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: First, the money for homelessness next year will not be cut and will be the same amount as for this year. The Department works closely with the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum in particular regarding the issues that arise in Dublin. The Department was determined that it would maintain the budget for this year, for which there was rightly a strong campaign. In addition, there...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: If Deputy Boyd Barrett had new solutions instead of fairy tale solutions, we might get somewhere.

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: This is a specific question that I am answering. My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authority waiting lists. These figures fluctuate as households are allocated housing and new households apply for support. In accordance with section 21 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, I directed all housing authorities to prepare a summary of...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Minister, Deputy Hogan, and I met representatives of NAMA approximately one month ago and discussed this issue again. We have met them several times. There have been improvements. NAMA has set up a special purpose vehicle which is assisting in moving the properties more quickly. More than half the units, including houses and apartments, suggested by NAMA as being available for social...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (23 Oct 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we...