Results 11,561-11,580 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Applications (18 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: This year, my Department is providing funding of over €62 million to Dublin City Council to support the Council’s various social housing supply and improvement works programmes currently underway. This includes over €40 million in respect of various regeneration programmes operating across the city including Ballymun and projects which were previously included in the City...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Criteria (18 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Housing rents are set in accordance with a rent scheme adopted by each local authority. The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of housing authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions.It is a matter for housing authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the authority’s rent...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (18 Sep 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: Voluntary Housing Sector (18 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government’s Housing Policy Statement, published in June 2011, identifies approved housing bodies (AHBs) as key partners in the delivery of social housing. This recognises both the constrained funding levels available for local authority construction programmes and the capacity and track-record of the voluntary and cooperative housing sector. The move from capital funded...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (18 Sep 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: 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. 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...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Interest rates charged to local authority borrowers are determined by the Board of the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). In determining these rates, the Board of the Agency gives careful consideration to the fluctuating relationship between the rates at which it can borrow and its lending rates. The HFA is required to operate on a break-even basis and continues to provide extremely good value to...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local authorities provide information on the proportion of stock that is vacant at the end of each year and this information is collated and published as part of the annual Service Indicators in Local Authorities Report. Copies of the 2010 report are available from the Local Government Management Services Board and may be downloaded from their website (www.lgmsb.ie). Information on the number...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The resolution of the various challenges 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 — Traveller Accommodation: Traveller Accommodation (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In accordance with the provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, responsibility for the planning and implementation of Traveller accommodation proposals is a matter for the relevant housing authority. Proposals for the provision of 22 additional units of accommodation at Labre Park were submitted by Dublin City Council in 2004. Following a detailed appraisal, approval in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is currently examining, in consultation with the relevant bodies, the future funding and governance arrangements for the voluntary and co-operative housing sector. The need for any policy and legislative changes, including changes to facilitate the sale to tenants of houses provided by approved housing bodies, will be considered in the light of the outcome of this examination.

Written Answers — National Asset Management Agency: National Asset Management Agency (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 515 together. In December 2011 NAMA identified over 2,000 properties as being potentially available for social housing. Since that announcement my Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA have been working together with housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards bringing NAMA units into social use. Housing authorities have been assessing...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is my intention that this matter will be addressed in the Residential Tenancies Bill 2011, which will be published in the coming days.

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department is not aware of the matter referred to or of any active plans to infill 52 acres of Dublin Bay but understands from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that in February 2012 Dublin Port Company published a masterplan outlining its vision for development over the period 2012–2040 which, while it did refer to a potential need for possible reclamation sometime in the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. Given the move away from large-scale and resource-intensive social housing construction programmes by local authorities and the consequent absence of representative tender prices, there is no evidence-base to support the compilation of accurate costings for the construction of social houses. However, based on the most recent proposals...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Public Safety Initiative for Unfinished Housing Developments my Department has made allocations totalling some €3.17 million to 21 local authorities from the funding allocation 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...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (19 Jul 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 www.environ.ie. Data on the number of applications made under Section 28 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 and the numbers granted and refused are included within that range. Data...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Exchequer allocations totalling over €54 million were notified to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes on 28 February 2012. Of this, some €790,524 was allocated to Westmeath County Council. To date €95,315.20 or 12% of this has been drawn down by Westmeath County Council, facilitating the payment of 31 grants. My Department monitors expenditure under...

Written Answers — Homelessness Strategy: Homelessness Strategy (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 468 17 July 2012. The Programme for Government committed to reviewing the national homelessness strategy and to implementing a housing led approach to homelessness. The draft of the review report is being considered by my Department and was presented recently to the Cross Departmental Team on Homelessness, which includes a representative from the...

Government Response to Mahon Tribunal Recommendations: Statements (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have responsibility for planning.

Government Response to Mahon Tribunal Recommendations: Statements (19 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputies for their contributions. To respond to Deputy Catherine Murphy's point, there is no reason we cannot return to this issue. However, it was important to address it today before the House rises for the summer recess. Today marks an important departure in a planning scandal that has bedevilled politics since 1997. In the intervening years, we have listened as a grotesque...