Results 12,001-12,020 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (26 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Local Authorities are directly responsible for addressing housing need within their administrative areas and do so using a range of supply options including permanent social housing, long-term leased units, units leased under the Rental Accommodation Scheme and voluntary and co-operative housing units. It is a matter for each authority to take decisions on individual cases in accordance with...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The general terms and conditions governing the Shared Ownership scheme are generated at Departmental level, and have been notified to local authorities by means of circulars. The last update on these conditions was contained in circular HMS 6A of 2003. The specific provisions and covenants contained in mortgage agreements entered into by local authorities and their borrowers are not matters...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (26 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Limerick Regeneration Programme there has been a requirement to move households within and from the regeneration areas to improve their living conditions and/or to facilitate development projects. This need will remain as the implementation plans are delivered, albeit at a much reduced level and mainly where the relocations will support construction projects elsewhere. It is in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (25 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, published 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 — Mortgage Protection Policies: Mortgage Protection Policies (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. The local authority mortgage protection insurance scheme is overseen by the Mortgage Protection Committee which is a sub-committee of the County and City Managers Association (CCMA) and is representative of the CCMA, local authorities, the Housing Finance Agency and my Department. One of the conditions of the plan, which is a group...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Public Safety Initiative for Unfinished Housing Developments was launched by my Department in 2011 to address health and safety issues for members of the public, especially residents, where the responsible party was not pursuable in the short term. Estates were divided into four categories: Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Developments: Unfinished Housing Developments (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Under the Public Safety Initiative my Department has made allocations totalling some €2.79 million to 21 local authorities from the funding allocation made available to address immediate safety issues in 2011. The types of works that have been approved to date include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting and other works to...

Written Answers — Housing Grants: Housing Grants (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I recently announced details of the 2012 housing capital allocations to local authorities, totalling some €251.5 million. In excess of €6.6 million has been made available for the various housing programmes in Cork County Council. Of this, €384,116 has been allocated for necessary adaptations and extensions to meet the needs of tenants of local authority houses. The administration of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department approved the proposal by Sligo Borough Council to accept the tenders for these projects on 12 April 2012. This will enable the Council to conclude negotiations with the successful tenderer and allow the early commencement of the construction works.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The information sought is set out in the annual reports of An Bord Pleanála. These are available on the Board's website at www.pleanala.ie .

Written Answers — Housing Statistics: Housing Statistics (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy and those data are available on my Department's website www.environ.ie. Data on vacancy levels are not among that range as they are collected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as part of its Census work. The 2011 Census has recently been published and is...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As Minister, I am precluded, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, from exercising any power or control in relation to any individual planning application or appeal with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned.

Seanad: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank all the Senators who participated in this high quality, wide-ranging and thought-provoking debate. I think 20 Senators from all sides participated. It is very important to state that not everybody was at this practice, that a small number were corrupted, whether they were developers, professional planners or politicians. Others resisted and stood up to what was going on, and as...

Seanad: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We must put measures in place to stop those who might be subject to corruption from succumbing to it and getting away with it. That is the reason we are putting in place the measures concerning planning, which I outlined in my contribution, as well as the whistleblowers, ethics and registration of lobbyists legislation to which Senator Quinn referred. We must put these measures in place. I...

Seanad: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements (24 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am pleased to attend the House to discuss the final report of the Mahon tribunal. By now, more than one month after its publication, Senators and those outside the House will have had an opportunity to begin to digest the full findings of the report. Its size - at more than 3,200 pages - makes this no easy task, but it is important for various reasons that we understand and, more...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (19 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The responsibility for zoning lands for specific purposes is a matter for planning authorities through their development plans and local area plans. Under the Planning Acts, the making, reviewing and varying of a development plan or local area plan is a reserved function of the elected members of the relevant planning authority. While my Department does not hold the data from planning...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (19 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: As Minister for Housing and Planning I am responsible for ensuring that a strong policy and legislative framework exists to support the consistent operation of the planning system. A very extensive suite of statutory planning guidelines is already in place to promote best practice in planning authorities. My Department is currently developing further guidance for planning authorities in...

Water Services (19 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputies for raising this issue and I am happy to respond on behalf of the Government. The overarching objective of our water reform programme is to put in place structures and funding arrangements that will ensure we have a world class water and waste-water infrastructure that meets all environmental and public health standards, can attract foreign direct investment and support job...

Water Services (19 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I disagree with both Deputies when they say this will not save water. I absolutely disagree with their contention that charging, over a certain level of free water, will not concentrate people's minds on saving water. People who are better off will not necessarily leave the taps on because they have a bit more money. One could not say the better-off are not engaged in recycling and the use...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Apr 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are responsible for the proper management and maintenance of their dwellings which have been financed under my Department's capital funding schemes. AHBs are also responsible for the operation of letting policies, the fixing of rents and compliance with all relevant statutory requirements. Under the terms of the Capital Assistance Scheme, AHBs are to fix rents...