Results 10,281-10,300 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Management Companies (11 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: A total of 704 housing associations were granted approved status by my Department under Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 for the provision and management of housing. Of these , some 444 have been approved for funding for the construction and/ or acquisition of properties under the Capital Funding Schemes. My Department’s role in relation to the voluntary...

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is not true.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Projects (10 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department received 169 submissions following publication of the Dublin Array Environmental Impact Statement. All submissions are available on my Department’s website. No assessment of the application will take place pending publication of the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (10 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is acutely conscious of the difficulties many households are facing in terms of mortgage arrears. Where any borrower, either from a local authority or from a private financial institution, is facing difficulties in meeting mortgage repayments, they should engage proactively and constructively with the lender to seek to achieve an agreed solution. The services of the Money...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (10 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together. On 22 February 2013 I announced capital allocations to local authorities under the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability amounting to €42.750 million. This year I allocated local authorities the full amount of their contractual commitments and the balance of the available funding was allocated on the basis...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (10 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 applies to estates which have been granted planning permission and includes the construction of two or more houses (which as defined in the Act includes apartments) and the provision of new roads, open spaces, car parks, sewers, watermains or drains. In relation to estates which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is as much as we can estimate in accordance with our current information.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Some work is being undertaken in consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on reviewing the various options for streamlining the valuation process. His Department is central to the issue, but I take Deputy Coffey's point. We will convey this debate to central government.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputies for their questions. On local government funding and the property tax, an interdepartmental group is examining the various issues in detail at present. Obviously, a model will have to be worked out in regard to how the 80:20 allocation is administered and how the entire Local Government Fund is administered. The interdepartmental group will be bringing forward...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In terms of keeping it open, my understanding - we can check this out - is that every local authority should have all schemes available to citizens.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: They do in the case of mortgages. We are looking it as an option and, again, it is to do with value for money. I want to ensure we target these grants as well as we can. They are of great assistance, particularly for those who otherwise might be forced to go into a nursing home and would not be able to go back to their own home. Socially and economically, it makes complete sense to have...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can feel a circular coming.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are all aware of this happening. There was a departmental retrofitting scheme under which up to €35,000 could be provided for a void house to bring it up to a BER rating of C1. It was said units might have been left for that reason. This year we changed the scheme to allow the money to be used in occupied houses too. It was considered that it was not fair that a local authority...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We will pilot the HAP in seven local authorities. It is a mixture of different types of local authority. Obviously, when the HAP scheme is introduced, people will be paying differential rent. That will address the issue of rent caps. The pilot scheme areas are being chosen in conjunction with the local authorities - the ones that are ready and where there would not be a huge difference...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank members for their questions which I will go through one at a time. As there were a few common themes, I can refer to them as I go along. Deputy Brian Stanley's main query concerned the cost-effectiveness of leasing. He referred to a figure of 300. That is the number of units delivered through the CAS. The Deputy knows the kind of strictures on us in terms of the public...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: About three years ago.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It does need to be looked at again.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have been monitoring the amount of leasing units local authorities are acquiring and we will keep monitoring it. I have indicated publicly on a number of occasions that I would like to return to more construction when the economy allows it. We will certainly be looking for opportunities in that regard, particularly in stimulus programmes considered by the Government. We are already in a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand the point the Deputy is making.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 25 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (9 Jul 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: They will facilitate us to house families for 20 years over the lifetime of a lease. That is a significant length of time. I take the Deputy's point that we need to keep the matter under review and that we cannot keep on leasing more and more properties without examining the ongoing cost to the State and we will do this. For the moment, it is considered to be a cost-effective way of...