Results 11,621-11,640 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (10 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Transparency has always been an essential part of the planning system. Insofar as the planning application process is concerned there is a facility for the public/third parties to make submissions, and to appeal a decision of the planning authority to An Bord Pleanála as the independent planning appeals body. In relation to development by a local authority the Planning Acts and Regulations...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (10 Jul 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 — National Housing Survey: National Housing Survey (5 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The National Housing Survey 2012 commenced in June and will be conducted over the summer months. Following on from previous surveys, conducted in 2010 and 2011, it will assess those housing estates which remain incomplete and which were commenced from 1 January 2007. In exceptional circumstances, it may include estates which pre-date this but whose attributes merit inclusion; otherwise, the...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (5 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The issues faced by residents of unfinished housing developments are matters which my Department has been proactively addressing. 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 its recommendations. The Committee...

Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I agree with Deputy Stanley that it is appropriate to take all of these amendments together because, essentially, they deal with the same issue. The legislation proposes specifically to dissolve the Dormant Accounts Board and transfer the statutory functions of the board to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Bill is being put through the House to give...

Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I again make the point that the role of the board is sometimes believed to be larger than it is. Following the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005, there has in fact been very little involvement of the board in the approval process. Its main role is to do with drawing up the three-year plan and preparing an annual report. In terms of the actual disbursement, the board has had a very...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 180 together. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009, provides for a new process of housing needs assessment for applicants for social housing support. Until these Regulations were made there had been different practices in housing authorities regarding the way in which applicants for social housing support had their income means-tested. The...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following receipt of submissions in 2008 under the Remedial Works Scheme for a three-year programme of works to upgrade run-down local authority estates, it was decided not to approve the proposed works to the 44 unit estate at Killymooney Drive, largely due to the fact that the estate was constructed in 1988. All of the available funding under the remedial works measure is fully committed...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. The full range of data compiled can be viewed on my Department's website, www.environ.ie, where data on Local Authority completions, broken down by county, are displayed. My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities'...

Written Answers — Rental Accommodation Scheme: Rental Accommodation Scheme (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The budget provided for the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) in any given year is intended to support the costs of all existing rent supplement households transferred to the scheme in previous years and to fund the costs of rents of additional new transfers to the scheme (new supply) during a current year. In that context it is not possible at this time to project the amount of funding that...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In December 2011 NAMA identified over 2,000 properties as being potentially available for social housing, including 312 units in Cork County. From this list of some 2,000 properties a number of projects have been identified as being suitable for social housing, and these are being advanced for inclusion in the leasing scheme. These projects are at different stages of development and I...

Written Answers — Housing Statistics: Housing Statistics (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The most recent figures on the number of vacant properties in County Dublin can be found in my Department's National Housing Development Survey 2011, which can be found at www.environ.ie. There were a total of 4,679 vacant properties in the Dublin area as at September 2011, a reduction from the 6,816 properties in 2010. The National Housing Development Survey 2012 is currently under way, and...

Seanad: Rent Supplements: Motion (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is being worked on.

Seanad: Rent Supplements: Motion (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: They must disclose that they are doing so.

Seanad: Rent Supplements: Motion (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: They must declare it.

Seanad: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Cullinane for raising this very important issue. A specific matter in regard to the operation of the planning function in Waterford, involving one elected member, has been dealt with by the courts. I am not otherwise aware of any wider prima facie evidence that would merit the establishment of an investigation in respect of this planning authority. In any event, where there...

Seanad: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It went to court and there was a conviction. That shows that the system works.

Seanad: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: If there is any evidence, the Senator should bring it to the attention of the appropriate authorities.

Seanad: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is not brushing anything under the carpet.

Seanad: Planning Issues (4 Jul 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: It was a case where there was a conviction.