Results 11,121-11,140 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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 significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 315 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 108 of 4 December 2012. The County and City Managers Association (CCMA), who are represented on the project Steering Group, provide ongoing advice in relation to the resources required by housing authorities to implement the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). This input will continue as the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee (NCC) on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government’s response to the recommendations. The Committee includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Anti-Social Behaviour (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently developing Heads for a new Housing Bill that will, among other things, provide for a revised procedure to replace section 62 of the Housing Act, 1966, thus enabling housing authorities to recover possession of their dwellings from households engaged in anti-social behaviour . I am also examining the scope for strengthening, in the Bill, the excluding order powers of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive), as amended by Directives 97/11/EC, 2003/35/EC and 2009/31/EC, has been transposed into Irish law primarily by means of the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1989 to 1999, and they have also been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In July 2012 my Department approved the purchase by South Dublin County Council of seven apartments in a 45-unit development at Cookstown Road, Tallaght. The Council subsequently advised that it would not be possible to proceed with the acquisition of these properties and requested my Department's approval for a revised proposal to acquire housing units at an alternative location. This was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation (11 Dec 2012)

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 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 actively completed by the developer, or where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Management Companies (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is not aware of any such conflict. The Multi-Unit Developments Act, 2011 falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (11 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government committed to reviewing the homeless strategy, The Way Home: A Strategy to Address Adult Homelessness in Ireland 2008-2013 and to implementing a housing led approach to homelessness. Work on the review is almost complete and I intend to issue a policy statement on homelessness shortly. That statement will take account of demands on existing housing, and will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (6 Dec 2012)

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. Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992 as amended by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, provides that any person who by act or omission, obstructs an authorised...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (6 Dec 2012)

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: Planning Issues (6 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Housing Land Availability Survey is an annual survey undertaken by my Department which seeks information from local authorities to inform the publication of the amount of zoned residential land in their areas that is currently serviced. The published data from the 2011 survey, which is available on my Department’s website , indicates that there are currently 17,223 hectares of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (5 Dec 2012)

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: Voluntary Housing Sector (5 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) provides funding to approved housing bodies of up to 100% of the approved costs of accommodation for people with specific categories of housing need, including victims of domestic violence. My Department’s involvement with the CAS relates primarily to the provision of funds for individual projects. The detailed administration of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (5 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department has been in contact with Dublin City Council and I understand that the Council is actively dealing with a number of the properties mentioned. The City Council has, in fact, already served notices under the Derelict Sites Act in relation to a number of the locations.  My Department has requested the City Council to provide updates on developments with regard to the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Colleges of Education (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senators for raising it. The Minister has accepted the recommendations set out in a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority on the structures for initial teacher education, ITE. The purpose of the report was to identify new structures to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Colleges of Education (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I reiterate that I will convey to the Minister the concerns of the Senators in regard to St. Angela's College, Sligo and the Church of Ireland College of Education.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator MacSharry for raising this issue. My visit to Sligo last week was very positive. I was impressed by what is being done there, particularly in Cranmore. I hope I can clarify the situation for the Senator. The action programme for effective local government, "Putting People First", was published on 16 October 2012. It sets out Government policy for reform across all the main...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will try to get the specifics for Sligo, which I understand is what Senator MacSharry wants. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, stated in his press release on this matter that in counties where there are existing town councils there should be four additional members per borough council and one additional member per town council. I do not know if that makes the position any clearer.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Electoral Divisions (4 Dec 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will ask the Minister to forward the specifics about Sligo to Senator MacSharry.