Results 10,761-10,780 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no plans to amend planning legislation to provide for the making of submissions to An Bord Pleanála in connection with pre-application consultations regarding strategic infrastructure development. Submissions may of course be made by third parties after a strategic infrastructure application has been received.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Bonds (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together The specific information sought in relation to the amount or value of bonds is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Standards (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. They specify requirements in relation to a range of matters such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and safety of gas and electrical supply. All landlords...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 614 of 6 June 2012. A decision on whether a person who has been sentenced to prison is liable to pay rent on their local authority house while serving their sentence is a matter for the housing authority concerned. Having examined the practice across a number of authorities, my Department’s understanding is that where a person who has a local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: While, under Section 255 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 – 2012, I may initiate a review of procedures and systems employed by a planning authority in the performance of its functions under the Acts, I am precluded, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, from involvement in relation to any particular case, including an enforcement matter, with which a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The application to An Bord Pleanála for approval of this project was made prior to the commencement of Part XAB of the Planning and Development Act 2000 on 21 September 2011 and accordingly the relevant provisions in relation to appropriate assessment of this application are contained in the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. Under Regulation 30(5) of those...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 395 together. The Wind Energy Development Guidelines (June 2006) provide advice to planning authorities on catering for wind energy through the development plan process. The guidelines are also intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country in the identification of suitable locations for wind energy development and the treatment...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (26 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. In allocating the available funding across all 34 city and county councils I did so in as transparent and as fair a way as possible. In framing the 2013 allocations, my Department wrote to each local authority...

Disability Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will do that.

Disability Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am happy to have the opportunity to summarise the position of the Government on the motion tabled by Deputy Finian McGrath and the Technical Group. I have listened with interest to Members on both sides of the House, as did my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, earlier this morning and last night. Indeed, the commitment of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch,...

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Our councillors did not do anything wrong.

Leaders' Questions (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is not true.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Exemptions (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 172 together. The list of unfinished housing estates to be prescribed for purposes of a waiver from the local property tax has been compiled by local authorities utilising the categorisation in place in respect of the household charge, updated by reference to the National Housing Survey 2012. My Department has collated the data from local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The management and maintenance of properties owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and decisions in relation to adaptations required to meets the needs of individual tenants are, in the first instance, matters for the housing body concerned. The AHB, as the de facto owner of the property, must consent to any adaptations carried out by a tenant. Where feasible, AHBs will endeavour to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Repossessions (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Where repossession occurs it is only as a last resort, and my Department is aware that it generally involves those households in arrears who refuse to engage with the local authority lender. In the wake of the Dunne Judgment, where carrying out repossessions, local authorities have invoked the provisions of Section 11(5) of the Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, which provides for a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Regulations (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: A Review of Effectiveness of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Ireland published by the EPA on 14 December, 2012, on behalf of the SEA statutory environmental authorities including my Department, found that SEA has proven to be a vital tool for environmental protection. In addition, an Action Plan 2012-2016 was also published which was drawn up by the SEA statutory environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Applications (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of my role as Minister with responsibility for housing and planning I am overseeing a programme of social housing reform. This includes elaborating on the Social Housing (Allocation) Regulations 2011 which came into force in May 2011, and set out the conditions that housing authorities must take into account when making their allocation schemes. As part of the programme of reform,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 all housing authorities are required to make an allocation scheme. The Regulations require authorities to set out the manner in which they will allocate dwellings to both households on the waiting list and households who have been approved for transfers. Any unsold affordable housing units that a housing authority has made...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Grants (21 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. In allocating the available funding across all 34 city and county councils I did so in as transparent and as fair a way as possible. In framing the 2013 allocations, my Department wrote to each local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Exemptions (20 Mar 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 357, 358 and 373 together. As part of the work of the National Coordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments, which I chair, my Department conducted national surveys of unfinished developments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The National Housing Development Survey 2012 revealed that 1,203 developments which had previously been included in the 2011...