Results 11,361-11,380 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that a key priority for Government is to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme is framed in a manner which optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee 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 Agency,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In advancing loans for house purchase by lower income borrowers it is of critical importance that local authorities make such funding available on the basis of sound lending criteria. My Department and individual local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that the borrower may be reasonably expected to sustain the loan over the full term. Of equal importance, in view of recent...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears (23 Oct 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 (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local Authorities provide information on the average time taken, from the date of vacating a unit to the date when all necessary repairs are carried out, to re-let a property in each authority, and, also, the proportion of the housing stock that is vacant at the end of each year. This information is collated and published as part of the annual Service Indicators in Local Authorities Report....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Crime Prevention (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Housing authorities have a range of statutory housing powers to assist them in dealing with anti-social behaviour in their housing stock, including anti-social behaviour motivated by racism. Among the powers available to housing authorities are the power to refuse to allocate, or to refuse to sell, a dwelling to a person engaged in anti-social behaviour and the power to seek a court order...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department currently supports an ambitious approach to regeneration which seeks to address the causes of disadvantage in communities and large social housing estates through holistic programmes of physical, social and economic regeneration. This year, my Department is providing funding of over €40 million in respect of regeneration projects in Dublin city, some €15 million of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Public Safety Initiative for Unfinished Housing Developments my Department has made allocations totalling some €3.338 million to 21 local authorities from the funding made available to address immediate public safety issues. The types of works that have been approved to date include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (23 Oct 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: Housing Adaptation Grants (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Renewal Schemes (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In August 2012 , my Department approved the tender submitted by Ballymun Regeneration Limited for the construction of 25 houses and ancillary works, costing an estimated €4.4 87 million, at Coultry, Ballymun. Works being undertaken under the contract include the extension of Coultry Terrace into Woodhazel Terrace together with the provision of necessary paths and pavements at a cost...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I presume the question refers to the Unfinished Housing Developments Public Safety Initiative put in place. This initiative was intended to remedy those estates where there were public safety issues for residents and members of the public but where the responsible party could not be pursued in the short term. Under the initiative unfinished housing developments fall within four categories:...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, and cannot therefore comment on the specifics of any individual case.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Oct 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: Anti-Social Behaviour (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Statistics compiled by my Department show that in 2010, 39 warrants under section 62 of the Housing Act 1966 were sought by local authorities for anti-social behaviour reasons with 14 resultant evictions, 56 Section 62 warrants for anti-social behaviour were sought in 2011 with 15 evictions. My Department does not collect statistics on the number of complaints received by local authorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Planning legislation provides for extensive public notification of proposed development at the development management stage. Detailed provisions are contained in the Planning and Development Regulations 2001–2012 in respect of the erection of site notices, the publication of notice in a newspaper approved for this purpose and the timing of notice to facilitate third-party inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: To date, NAMA has identified over 3,800 units to be considered for social housing. Of those that have been examined to date, 449 have been deemed unsuitable by housing authorities and a further 594 have been withdrawn. Some 2,010 units are being examined by housing authorities as to their suitability for social housing purposes. Of these, 190 are located in County Kildare.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authorities have long been the lenders of last resort servicing the housing loans needs of less affluent members of society. In the present economic circumstances, it is to be anticipated that the ability of some borrowers to service housing loans may become restricted and that a number of loans may fall into arrears. Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy and those data are available on my Department’s website . Data on the number of shared ownership loans in 2010 and 2011 are included within that range. While my Department collates statistics on mortgage arrears in Local Authorities these are not...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 52 on today’s Order Paper.