Results 11,501-11,520 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Exemptions (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, launched by my Department in October 2011, local authorities provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows: - Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Schemes (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated capital funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock, including the regeneration of large housing estates and flat complexes, estate-wide remedial works schemes, funding for extensions and adaptations to meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The relevance of the difference between projected mortgage repayments and current rental payments for a prospective purchaser is very limited. It takes no account, for example, of the fact that while rent levels can be adjusted to reflect changing household income, mortgage repayments cannot. Nor does it take account of the additional costs taken on when a household becomes a homeowner...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: This year I allocated some €8.643 million to Kerry County Council in respect of the various measures supported under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) . I recently allocated a further € 420,000 to the Council for the construction of three rural houses over the period 2012 – 2014. Having regard to the high level of commitments under the SHIP...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: House Prices (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: A statistician is assigned to my Department’s Planning and Housing Division to deal with a wide range of issues including the compilation of relevant indices of activity and outputs, of which the house price series is one . The increment of the officer’s time involved would not be significant.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Thatching Grants Eligibility (25 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department’s grant scheme for the renewal or repair of thatched roofs a grant of up to € 3,810 or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. A higher grant of up to €5,714 may be payable where the house is situated on certain specified islands off the West...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Statistics (25 Sep 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 . While we do not col late the exact number of depende nts listed on applications for social housing, the 2011 assessment of housing need, which is broken down by local authority, is available...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (20 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislative underpinning for the household charge.  The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 provides the basis for the non-principal private residence charge. The legislation provides that the owner of a residential property is liable to pay the household charge...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications (20 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The necessary statutory instruments were made in 2011 under Part 4 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 to enable the new scheme for the tenant purchase of apartments to come into operation on 1 January 2012. As the initial step in implementing the scheme, I have asked housing authorities to identify apartment complexes in their housing stock that might be suitable for...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: There is no legislation in Ireland regulating the height of trees and hedges. My Department understands that there is no right in Irish law to receive light in a garden and that, while there is a civil remedy, of nuisance, available in respect of the branches or roots of a neighbour's trees encroaching on one's property, there is no civil law remedy in respect of the loss of light in a...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: All aspects of the Planning Regulations, including the requirement to publish notice of planning applications in a national newspaper, are kept under review in my Department. I have no plans currently to amend the newspaper notice requirements for planning applications.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (20 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently approved funding under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme for the construction of three rural houses in County Kerry over the period 2012 – 2014. It is a matter for Kerry County Council to decide on the location and future tenancy arrangements for these properties.

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

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together. Details relating to the maximum size of property eligible under the Home Choice Loan are set out in the Housing (Home Choice Loan) Regulations 2009. These specify that loans may not be made available for the purchase or construction of a house where the total floor area of the house is, or would exceed, 175 square metres. This is a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (19 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Questio n No. 1132 of 18 September 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (19 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: One of the conditions applying to the availability of local authority mortgages is that the applicant be a first time buyer. Provisions regarding the application of stamp duty and the definition of a first time buyer for the purposes of stamp duty are set out in the Stamp Duties Acts, which fall within the remit of the Minister for Finance.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications (19 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Arrangements for the winding down of the 1995 Tenant Purchase Scheme were communicated to local authorities on 6 June 2012 in Housing Circular 23/2012 - Termination of the 1995 Tenant Purchase scheme. Under the arrangements local authorities may accept applications to purchase under this scheme up until 31 December 2012. Separate provisions are in place under Part 3 of the Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Report Implementation (19 Sep 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 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Drugs Task Forces Funding (19 Sep 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 these projects in 2012 my Department, exceptionally, provided pro rata funding to support the projects until end June 2012 only. Following a consultation process, South Dublin County Council identified interim...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (19 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The legislation governing compulsory land acquisition by local authorities provides for the payment of compensation for lands acquired by them on the authorisation of a duly confirmed CPO. The amount of compensation payable by local authorities for land acquired by them is solely a matter for negotiation between the landowner and the local authority concerned. In the event of dispute, either...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (19 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Questio n No. 1132 of 18 September 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.