Results 11,921-11,940 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, subsection (3), line 27, after "provisions" to insert the following: ", and for the insertion of different provisions in section 144 of the Act of 2001 effected by section 13".

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: These amendments seek to introduce a requirement for the consent of the Oireachtas and-or consultation with the Oireachtas, agencies and local authorities in the administrative process of establishing new bodies, and in the preparation of transfer orders in the context of bodies that are being dissolved. The principle of a Minister in a sector such as local government having the power to...

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Bill does not provide for the establishment of the new amalgamated unitary local authorities in Limerick and Tipperary. That will require further, separate legislation. The Minister will bring forward wider local government proposals shortly on regional, county and sub-county structures. The overall reform programme will also reflect other work in progress on various aspects of local...

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Members for their contributions. There is always a very good, informed debate on local government and Members are interested in the issues. There will be an opportunity for further debate on further legislative measures and when the Minister announces his proposals for the reform of local government. The Bill is relatively short but it is important to allow the Department to...

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Order for Second Stage (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012 before the Dáil today. The Bill is required to legislatively underpin any new or existing body established under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971 to 2012, if amended, and to facilitate the Department's agency rationalisation programme by...

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will refer briefly to the sections of the Bill. Section 1 contains the usual provisions while sections 2 and 3 are standard technical provisions. Although no direct expenditure in implementing the Act is anticipated, it is prudent to include these standard provisions. Section 4 is an amendment of section 2 of the Act of 1971 and deletes the reference to "health board" as an authority to...

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (23 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is fine. I will conclude, going through to section 12. I will refer briefly to the amendments I will introduce tomorrow. These will enable dual management arrangements to operate in Limerick and Tipperary and will specifically allow for the appointment of a single manager to both sets of authorities, pending their full merger in 2014. This will ensure there is clear and cohesive...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (22 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 117 of 9 May, 2012, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Private residential tenancies, with limited exceptions, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the main provisions in respect of rent and rent reviews are set out in Part III of that Act. Under section 19 of the Act, it is prohibited to set the rent under a tenancy at a rate above the market rent at either the beginning of the tenancy or at any subsequent rent review. Both...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the 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. The programme includes a retrofitting measure aimed at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses by reducing heat loss through the fabric of the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 339, 340 and 350 together. My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy and these can be viewed on my Department's website www.environ.ie Data regarding the number of completed shared ownership transactions are available on the website and the most recent data relate to...

Written Answers — Protected Structures: Protected Structures (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under my Department's Renewal or Repair of a Thatch Roof of a House grant scheme, a grant 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 and South...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The necessary statutory instruments were made in December 2011 under 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. Further regulations will be made in the coming months prescribing the form of the transfer orders for the three transfers of property ownership involved in the scheme. I...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In March I announced details of the 2012 housing capital allocations to local authorities, totalling some €251.5 million. In excess of €62 million has been made available for the various housing programmes in the Dublin City Council area. Of this, €2,928,150 has been allocated for the operation of the energy efficiency/retrofitting measure.

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As indicated in the reply to Questions 187 and 193 of 28 March 2012, part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011 involved the provision by local authorities of 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...

Seanad: State Examinations (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. The State Examinations Commission, SEC, was established as an independent agency in 2003 to deal with all operational issues relating to State examinations. The Minister has no role in the appeal mechanisms for decisions made by the SEC. The SEC has provided the...

Seanad: State Examinations (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My understanding is that legislation will be required. I will convey the Senator's views to the Minister, although, as he is aware, there are constrictions on what the Minister can do.

Seanad: Farm Inspections (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am replying to this matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Shane McEntee. In the context of delivering the single payment scheme, disadvantaged areas scheme and other area based schemes, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is required to carry out annual inspections covering the eligibility of the land declared...

Seanad: Farm Inspections (15 May 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I certainly will convey that suggestion to the Minister and the Department.