Results 10,621-10,640 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Burke again for raising this issue, which is complex. Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 specifies that up to 20% of land zoned for residential use must be reserved for the provision of social and affordable housing in each local authority area. This is transferred to local authorities at existing use value by way of land, units or serviced sites. Following the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Planning Issues (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: If there are developers who are trying to avoid their responsibilities, I would be delighted to get the information and come back to the Deputy on the matter.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I am pleased to be given this opportunity to inform the House of the position regarding the provision of new accommodation for Presentation College, Athenry. As the Senator will be aware, meeting the current emerging demographic challenges for the school sector is one of the highest priorities of...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Marine Development (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator. I apologise for Minister Coveney's absence but he was unable to attend this important and complex debate. As the Senator said, the competent authority for dealing with the issue is the Marine Institute. The core issue is that in areas deemed free of the disease there should be no importation of stock from infected areas. The areas were known as surveillance areas and...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Marine Development (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will convey the Senator's comments to the Minister.

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is normal to allow one scheme to end before the next one starts. I do not want the gap to be long and I want to introduce the legislation as soon as I can. I do not see a reason for a conspiracy. Not permitting people to purchase their houses will not address the issue of waiting lists, as people are already in the houses. There is no reason not to facilitate them in purchasing their...

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am sorry, but I did not catch that.

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Supreme Court judgment referred to concerned two cases relating to section 62 of the Housing Act 1966. In one case, the court made a declaration under the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 that section 62(3) of the Housing Act 1966 was incompatible with the State's obligations under Article 8 of the convention due to the absence of appropriate procedural safeguards where there...

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take it seriously. In fact, I met one of the officials working on the legislation this morning. We will have it ready and published this year as part of the housing legislation.

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: As to the delay, discussions with the Attorney General's office and a detailed examination were necessary. Complicating matters is the fact that the European Court of Human Rights has issued rulings in a number of other cases relating to Article 8 in other countries. We must consider those rulings when drafting our legislation. I assure the Deputy that we want to deal with this matter as...

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can only agree with the Deputy that the problem needs to be dealt with urgently. Indeed, it is being dealt with urgently. The issue will form part of the next substantial Bill that comes from my Department. We will ensure that the lacuna-----

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The legislation is being worked on. As the Deputy knows, there are lists of legislation and Ministers must ensure their priorities are included on them. We are working on doing so with the Attorney General's office. We will lay the Bill before the Houses and have it passed as quickly as possible.

Other Questions: Anti-Social Behaviour (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I cannot give the Deputy a date.

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 21 and 66 together. While the 1995 tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses closed for new applications on 31 December 2012, two incremental purchase schemes, one for newly-built local authority houses and the other for local authority apartments, remain in operation. It is intended to advance the necessary legislative proposals as...

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am very supportive of facilitating tenants in purchasing their houses or apartments. In 2010 we informed tenants that the 1995 scheme was going to be brought to a conclusion at the end of 2012. Quite an amount of notice was given. I am sure the Deputy will recall that we discussed the matter in the House. Everyone agreed that we should inform tenants that the scheme would be coming to...

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I must inform Deputy Ellis that it is the current scheme which relates to new houses. The scheme it is proposed to introduce will relate to old and new houses. Old houses will not be omitted from the new scheme.

Other Questions: House Purchase Schemes (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: That relates to the current scheme, which involves new houses. We have work to do in the context of deciding how valuations will be deal with under the new scheme. To address one of Deputy Ó Cuív's points, the payment system will centre more on income than the current scheme does. In the case of the latter, much depends on the length of time one has spent in a house. The income...

Other Questions: Property Taxation Exemptions (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: An exemption from the local property tax applies to developments listed in the schedule to the Finance (Local Property Tax) Regulations 2013. The list of unfinished housing developments eligible for the exemption was compiled by local authorities utilising the categorisation employed for the purposes of the national housing survey 2012. The survey was carried out over the course of summer...

Other Questions: Property Taxation Exemptions (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have explained that the lists were drawn up by the local authorities, all of which received a circular on the matter. While I do not know whether the housing managers saw the circular, some competent person would have been tasked with drawing up the lists. Every local authority designates an official to deal with unfinished housing estates and the public can engage with this individual if...

Other Questions: Property Taxation Exemptions (1 May 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: A number of the Deputies' questions related to finances. Deputy Stanley will be aware that funds were made available for the safety initiative. These funds have not been fully drawn down and they remain available to local authorities.