Results 11,461-11,480 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (4 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Provisions are in place under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 enabling for Incremental Purchase in respect of newly-built houses reserved by housing authorities for the purpose. Regulations to implement the Incremental Purchase Scheme for new houses were made in June 2010. This incremental purchase scheme is available to all housing authorities. Information...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (4 Oct 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...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing Provision (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Barry. Every week we meet people who are subject to intolerable anti-social behaviour and who often feel like prisoners in their own homes. We must do something effective about this, although I am not sure about the idea of assessment boards. I heard the Deputy's thoughts on the matter and I am consulting on it. We have commenced work on a new housing Bill and I have...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing Provision (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am very much aware of the problem of anti-social behaviour and it has been brought to my attention by representatives from various parts of the country. While the primary responsibility for dealing with anti-social behaviour rests with An Garda Síochána, housing legislation also contains measures aimed at combatting anti-social behaviour in housing estates and I propose to...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I know Deputy Phelan and others in the House will join me in emphasising our sense of horror and dismay at the relentless onslaught upon the Syrian civilian population. The brutally repressive actions of the Assad regime and the armed resistance from elements of the opposition have resulted...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Ireland will continue to contribute strongly to the humanitarian needs of Syria. Deputy Phelan might have heard about the Tánaiste's strong remarks at the United Nations General Assembly last week. Ireland is certainly making its voice heard in this regard. I will convey to the Tánaiste the Deputy's concern that the UN monitors be reinstated, as he is back in the country now, and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department recently issued approval to Ballymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) to proceed to tender for Demolition Contract 8, which provides for the demolition of the flat complexes on Shangan Road and S illogue Road . I understand from BRL that tenders for th ese work s are currently under examination and they anticipate that the demolition of these units will be completed towards the middle...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Funding (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together. 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 low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a person intending to apply for planning permission may seek the agreement of the planning authority to pre-application consultations, which agreement must not be unreasonably withheld. The Department’s Development Management Guidelines (June 2007) state that requests for both formal section 247 pre-application...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (3 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 dealing with social housing support, and the related Social Housing Assessment Regulations, 2011, were commenced on 1 April 2011. These provide a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing. The ultimate aim of the new system is to create a fairer, more consistent and transparent approach to eligibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Shared Ownership scheme the rent charged on the local authority’s equity in a shared ownership transaction is to cover the funding costs to the Housing Finance Agency which are based on borrowings at the prevailing interest rates. Any difference between the rent and prevailing interest rate is reflected in the capital outstanding on the property, i.e. if the rent charged in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In terms of the delivery of social housing, 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. The Government is committed to responding more quickly and on a larger scale to social housing support needs through a variety of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together. Following discussions between my Department and Bray Town Council, approval issued in July 2012 for a range of improvement and retrofitting works to houses in Oldcourt Estate. It was agreed that improvements works to the value of €1,000,000 would be undertaken by Bray Town Council and funded out of Internal Capital Receipts. It...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (2 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Numbers (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Historically, there has been 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. For that reason annualised data sets for the period 1992 to 2007 inclusive are not available. However, the Housing Agency’s Housing Needs Assessment 2008 and 2011 reports break...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department currently supports an ambitious programme of regeneration in Limerick with projects that seek to deliver social, economic and physical regeneration with a strong community involvement in the process. Regeneration seeks to rebuild damaged communities by improving not just the physical environment in which people live but also by investing in the social and economic life of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 to 377, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes – including affordable housing delivered under Part V – in the housing policy statement published in July 2011. This did not affect Part V agreements for the delivery of social or affordable housing already entered into nor has the law relating to the operation of Part V changed since that time....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 390 together. The specific information sought in relation to the amount or value of bonds is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (2 Oct 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. In accordance with the provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, 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...