Results 10,941-10,960 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Topical Issue Debate: Development Contributions (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the four Deputies for raising this important issue. As soon as I heard about it I immediately sought clarification and information through my Department's officials. I will first address the situation in Wicklow. It is important to point out in the first instance that Wicklow County Council has also initiated separate legal action against the original developer seeking payment of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: There are a range of services available to deal with needs arising in cases of domestic violence, both in terms of protection of the abused partner and any children, and any need for emergency accommodation. Persons who are subjected to domestic violence do not need to go on the general housing waiting lists to avail of short-term emergency housing.Where a social housing assessment is an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 439, 451, 467 and 468 together. On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears the Government launched a mortgage to rent scheme on a pilot basis in February 2012. This scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting those low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Planning and Development Acts 2000 - 2011, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Acts or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Article 6 and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 set out certain classes of development which are exempt from planning permission requirements. Class 1 of Schedule 2 of the 2001 Regulations provides...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grants Funding (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 452 together. Work is currently underway on preparing the capital allocations under the housing programme for 2013, including the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. As part of this process, my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements under the grant schemes. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In 2012, my Department provided funding in the sum of €198,441 to Dublin City Council for the refurbishment of housing units at Cromcastle Court. The nature and extent of the refurbishment works were determined by the City Council. Under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the compilation and funding...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, published by my Department in October 2011, local authorities, including South Tipperary County Council, provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows: Category one, where the development is still being...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Decisions on the eligibility of specific persons for social housing support and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the housing authority concerned. Furthermore, section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 specifically provides that the Minister’s power to issue policy directions and guidelines to housing authorities in relation to their housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock. The programme includes a retrofitting measure aimed at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses by reducing heat loss through the fabric of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Evictions (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Supreme Court issued a judgment in February 2012 in two cases relating to section 62 of the Housing Act 1966 , which sets out the procedure for repossession of a dwelling by a housing authority . In one case, the court made a declaration , pursuant to section 5(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 , that section 62(3) of the Housing Act 1966 is incompatible with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Shared Ownership scheme the rent charged on the local authority’s equity in a shared ownership transaction is to cover the funding costs to the Housing Finance Agency which are based on borrowings at the prevailing interest rates. Any difference between the rent and prevailing interest rate is reflected in the capital outstanding on the property, i.e. if the rent charged in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes, designed to meet the accommodation needs of Travellers, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department’s role is to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution Issues (12 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 of planning applications for wind energy developments. ...

Planning and Development Policy Directive: Motion (7 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move:That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulation in draft:Planning and Development (Planning Enforcement) General Policy Directive 2013,copies of which have been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 11th January, 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (7 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. 704 housing associations were approved by my Department under Section 6 of the Housing (scellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 for the provision and management of housing. In 2012 my Department identified 86 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) that neither produced housing stock nor applied for any funding from my Department . These companies...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (7 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 of planning applications for wind energy developments. ...

Seanad: Private Rented Sector: Statements (6 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are trying to learn from systems already in place in neighbouring jurisdictions. Several good schemes have been put in place in Britain and Northern Ireland has recently introduced a scheme. We still have quite a bit of work to do on the measure but I intend to have it ready to bring before the Seanad. Senator Reilly raised the issue of rent receivers. My Department has entered...

Seanad: Private Rented Sector: Statements (6 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank all Senators who contributed to the debate for the positive support for the progress being made. I particularly appreciate the support on the matter of bedsits, which has come from all sides of the House, because we are keen to ensure that we improve standards. There were several common themes among the contributions and I will address these and refer to some of the individual...

Seanad: Private Rented Sector: Statements (6 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: Flattery will get one everywhere.

Seanad: Private Rented Sector: Statements (6 Feb 2013)

Jan O'Sullivan: I hope I can keep smiling.