Results 11,321-11,340 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 730, 760 and 761 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Programme for Government included a commitment to review the operation of the Rent Supplement Scheme in order to achieve better value for money and to address concerns about the increase in households who have been receiving rent supplement in the longer term. A Steering Group was established in May 2011 to undertake this review and progress proposals as to the future operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The mortgage arrears guidance group was convened in early 2010 and is made up of representatives of the local authority sector and my Department. It is chaired by my Department. The group’s remit is to examine trends in local authority mortgage arrears and to devise appropriate responses . To date it has convened on five occasions and as a result of its work revised mortgage arrears...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Foreshore Advisory Group is a cross departmental/agency working group which was established by my Department in November 2011 to contribute to the preparation of legislation to give effect to the Programme for Government commitments in relation to the foreshore leasing and licensing regime by considering key policy and implementation issues in this area. The group is chaired by a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 739, 747 and 752 together. The resolution of the various issues presented by unfinished developments is one of the major challenges faced by my Department and local authorities. The National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments (NCC), which I chair, is charged with overseeing the implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grants (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department remains committed to providing financial assistance to older people and people with a disability who wish to carry out essential repairs, extensions/adaptations or improvement works to their homes in order to meet their accommodation needs. A suite of grants is available under my Department’s Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: A working group to examine the proposed merger of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) and the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRIA) was established in July 2012, and chaired by my Department (Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, Principal Officer) with representation from my Department, the Department of Justice and Law Reform, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: A steering group to oversee the review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts was established in June 2012 with membership from my Department, the local authority sector and the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. The group is chaired by my Department (Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, Principal Officer) and has met on 3 occasions to date. While the review process is on-going I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: A steering group to oversee the review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts was established in June 2012 with membership from my Department, the local authority sector and the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency. The group is chaired by my Department (Mr. Cian Ó Lionáin, Principal Officer) and has met on 3 occasions to date. While the review process is on-going I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: On foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government 2011 to introduce a tenancy deposit protection scheme I asked the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) to commission research on such a scheme and to report back to me with recommendations. A steering group to oversee this research was established in May 2012 with representation from my Department, the Housing and Sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Stock Levels (25 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The most recent information relating to the current property stock levels can be found in the 2011 census data which are available on the Central Statistics Office’s website .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 177E(5) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that An Bord Pleanála may at its own discretion, on request, extend the period specified in section 261A for the making of an application for substitute consent for a quarry by such further period as it considers appropriate. I have no plans further to amend the legislation in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (25 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The resolution of the various issues presented by unfinished developments is one of the major challenges faced by my Department and local authorities. I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments (NCC) to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government’s response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (25 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In December 2011 my Department issued guidance by way of circular letter (67/2011), to housing authorities regarding access to social housing support for non-Irish nationals. The circular provided that EEA nationals may be considered for assessment for social housing support from housing authorities if: 1) they are in employment/self-employed in the State; or 2) where they are not...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Insurance Cost (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, who unfortunately cannot attend. This issue was around for years during the time of the previous Government and very little was done about it. There has been recent speculation regarding possible increases in private health insurance premiums. As the Deputies are aware, the Minister for Health...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Insurance Cost (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is certainly not today or yesterday that these increases happened.

Topical Issue Debate: Health Insurance Cost (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In spite of the money that was in the country, there was no reform of the health service. The universal system to which the current Government is committed will address inefficiencies and extra costs in the health service and will deliver improvements for patients. A risk equalisation scheme is to be introduced by the Minister under the legislation he has introduced. The scheme in place...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Nolan for raising the issue to which I will respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. University Hospital Galway has two consultants who provide a pain management clinic in the hospital. These are consultants who specialise in anaesthesia, 50% of whose time is allocated specifically to pain management. Two pain clinic sessions take...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputy Nolan clearly outlined the difficult position of such patients. I will convey his concerns directly to the Minister, Deputy Reilly. We all want the quickest possible responses to patients in pain or who need care in other ways. The Deputy acknowledged the progress that has been made in various areas. I will convey the issues raised to the Minister and the suggestions Deputy Nolan...

Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (24 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and allowing me to outline the current position. I would like him to know I have commenced a review; therefore, we recognise there is an issue. The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, serves as a framework for a sequence of legislative and policy initiatives in the short to medium term. Based on a number of...