Results 11,221-11,240 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

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

Jan O'Sullivan: It was never going to change fully on 1 January.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputy O'Dea has some cheek to talk about matters changing. Look at the mess he left us with.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: It is a long time since 2004.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputy Barry Cowen raised this matter as a topical issue yesterday.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Drugs Project Funding (22 Nov 2012)

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

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (22 Nov 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...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We would need to have some money in the public purse to build more houses.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Unfortunately the troika has obliged us to cut our capital budget.

Topical Issue Debate: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The mortgage-to-rent scheme is a part of the Government's response. I reject his suggestion that the Government is not responding. The Personal Insolvency Bill is proceeding through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The mortgage resolution process in the lending institutions has been set up, as has the advisory service. My Department is working on...

Topical Issue Debate: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Imminently.

Topical Issue Debate: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We are certainly willing to learn from what is a totally new scheme. Initially officials from my Department worked with individual cases until we rolled out the national scheme in June. Initially, it was mainly the sub-prime lenders that engaged with the process - the main lenders did not want to know much about it at the start. However, they have now all come in and there is definite...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Schemes (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In line with overall national policy which promotes a reduction in energy use, the enhancement of energy efficiency standards remains a priority within my Department’s overall strategy for the improvement of local authority housing. Under the Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated capital funding each year in respect of a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is my intention to replace the tenant purchase scheme with a new scheme, based on the incremental purchase model, for tenants of existing local authority housing. Legislation is required to underpin the new model and it will be introduced as soon as possible. While there is no provision at present for the purchase of individual houses by tenants in voluntary and co-operative housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: There is considerable difficulty in quantifying the numbers of persons homeless at any given time and this is in part a consequence of the volatility within this cohort of housing need. A statutory assessment of housing need is carried out every three years by all housing authorities. The Housing Agency’s Housing Needs Assessment 2011 report breaks down the categories of housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (21 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Homeless Agency was established in Dublin in 2001, in response to the higher levels of homelessness experienced in the city than elsewhere in Ireland at that time. The Homeless Agency formally became the Dublin Region Homeless Executive in 2011. It is now responsible for providing support and services to the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and the Statutory Management Group....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (21 Nov 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. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The facility for any member of the public to participate in the planning process by making an observation or a submission on a planning application is a fundamental and long-standing feature of the planning system in this country. In the Planning and Development Act 2000 increased rights were given to third parties in that since the enactment of that Act planning authorities are statutorily...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Asset Management Agency (20 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: To date, NAMA have identified over 3,700 units from their portfolio to be considered for social housing. Of those: - 580 are in Dublin City Council's functional area, - 18 in South Dublin County Council; - 200 in Fingal County Council, and - 301 in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. It should be noted that the properties under consideration are part of the security for loans that NAMA has acquired....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (20 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government is acutely conscious of the difficulties being experienced by households in mortgage distress while at the same time remaining committed to facilitating the home ownership aspirations of creditworthy lower income households. There is no inherent contradiction between these objectives. Under the current arrangements, social housing tenants who wish to apply to purchase their...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (20 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the carrying out of routine and planned maintenance programmes to properties and estates, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority. Housing and estate maintenance programmes are funded directly by local authorities from their own resources, including from...