Results 11,181-11,200 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Drug Treatment Programmes (29 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The projects concerned operated as mainstreamed drugs projects under my Department’s housing programme. Following significant reductions in the funding available to support the projects in 2012 my Department, exceptionally, provided pro rata funding to support the projects until end June 2012. Following a consultation process South Dublin County Council identified interim funding...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (29 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following the publication of the Fitzgerald Report on addressing issues of social exclusion in Moyross and other disadvantaged areas of Limerick City the Government agreed to support a regeneration programme for key areas of Limerick City, including Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and Kings Island/St. Mary’s Park. The Limerick Regeneration Agencies (Northside and Southside) were...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (29 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The €1 million fund has been used by the Office of Regeneration to support a broad range of social interventions within the regeneration areas, which heretofore had not been included for funding by the former Regeneration Agencies. The Office of Regeneration established an Assessment Committee, comprising of suitably skilled personnel, to assess applications against a pre-determined...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (29 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: This year my Department is providing €27.5 million to support ongoing regeneration in Limerick. Projected levels of activity in 2013 will be subject to the financial provisions for housing, which will be determined in the context of the 2013 Estimates process. Some €4 million of the overall 2012 capital allocation is being set aside for the purposes of supporting social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (29 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Paragraph (1) of Regulation 22 of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations, 2011 provides that a household with alternative accommodation that would meet its housing need is ineligible for social housing support. Paragraph (2) of the Regulation effectively ensures that paragraph (1) does not operate to exclude from eligibility for social housing support an applicant who owns accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Legislative Programme (28 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Heads of a Housing Bill are currently being developed in my Department with a view to seeking Government approval to the drafting of the Bill as soon as possible. I have no plans to provide in the Bill for major changes to the new standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing that came into force in April 2011 under section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (28 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists. This figure continuously fluctuates as households are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. Detailed information on the latest statutory assessment of housing need, carried out in March 2011 and including a breakdown by housing authority is available on my...

Topical Issue Debate: Tenant Purchase Scheme (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Kitt for raising this important issue, in which he has previously expressed an interest in the committee. I want to set out the Government's position. The 1995 tenant purchase scheme, as it is commonly known, has been a major success, enabling more than 32,000 local authority tenants to purchase their homes. However, take-up on the scheme has dwindled in recent years and...

Topical Issue Debate: Tenant Purchase Scheme (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I agree with the Deputy that we need to give as much public information as possible. We certainly sought to do that and I put out a press statement in this regard. I hope the Deputy's raising of the issue today will give further information. I would encourage all public representatives to inform their constituents that the scheme is coming to an end. If people are interested, they should...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am responding to the Deputy on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Quinn. I will convey the suggestions made by the Deputy to the Minister. The Deputy will be aware of the context in which decisions on meeting the accommodation needs of schools must be considered over the coming years. Total enrolment is expected to grow by approximately 70,000 students between now and 2018....

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am familiar with the situation in Kilfinane. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, wants to do everything he possibly can in this area. As the Deputy knows, and as I said in my main response, the Department is not generally the contracting authority. There are legal restrictions in that regard. The Deputy has made some specific suggestions to be considered while we wait for progress to be made...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. That review is now underway. I will shortly publish material on my Department’s website, in furtherance of the review, and this will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 local authorities are required to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end, they have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require specified...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (27 Nov 2012)

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. Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires all housing authorities to make an allocation scheme. The making and amendment of such an allocation scheme for social housing is a reserved function of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department does not collect the information sought in the question. As Minister, my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of individual development contribution schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 486 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 437 of 20 November 2012.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (27 Nov 2012)

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. A household may be determined to be in need of social housing support where, in accordance with the 2011 social housing assessment regulations, a housing authority considers that the household’s current accommodation is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (27 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 491 together. The Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. It also recognises the approved housing body sector as a key partner in the delivery of social housing solutions for...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is true.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It funds the work carried out by the body.