Results 12,381-12,400 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Community Development (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Much work is ongoing in my Department, in particular in terms of aligning work being done by local authorities, local community organisations and others. In that context discussions are ongoing on how we can share services and resources. I realise that specific work is being done in these projects and that we want to protect the work that is being done. I accept the point that was made in...

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Medical Council's guide to professional conduct and ethics states that "it is in the best interests of the patient that a general practitioner, GP, supervises and guides the overall management of their health". There are approximately 2,600 GPs in active practice, of which approximately 2,300 hold a contract with the Health Service Executive, HSE, for the provision of services under the...

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will. The Deputy has made a good argument on the other side. I am not the Minister directly responsible but the notes I have been given state that the arrangements will be kept under review. That the Deputy's voice might be listened to might give him some comfort. There are reasons for taking these measures. I understand the Deputy's points and I will convey them to the Minister.

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes.

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, is on official business in Northern Ireland and telephoned me to ask if I could take this debate for her. I apologise on her behalf but she could not be present. This debate provides me with an opportunity to set out the steps being taken to address problems that have arisen in the processing of medical...

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: We all acknowledge that the centralisation process which began some years ago has resulted in some problems in the processing of medical card applications. The Minister of State, Deputy Róisín Shortall, regularly meets the HSE in an effort to iron out any the difficulties that arise. As the Deputy acknowledged, there are proposals which will make it easier for people, including...

General Medical Services Scheme (26 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I am assured they are not.

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (25 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department understands that Dublin City Council will be implementing an interest rate cut of 0.25% from 1 February 2012 for all variable loans; a further rate cut of 0.25% is scheduled to be implemented on 1 April 2012. It is understood that the Council's Loan Accounts Section is required to contact all 3,000 borrowers regarding changes to rates and new instalments. Borrowers with Direct...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (25 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 147 together. The voluntary housing sector is a significant provider of social housing for persons with specific categories of need and the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) has provided a significant proportion of the capital for the provision of these units over the years. The table sets out the Exchequer allocation for CAS from 2009 to 2012 and the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provided approval to Dublin City Council to proceed to Part 8 planning stage for this remedial works scheme in July 2011. It is my understanding that this planning process is ongoing and my Department will consider submissions from the Council following this process with a view to early progression of this remedial works scheme.

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (25 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: My Department provided approval to Dublin City Council to proceed to Part 8 planning stage for this remedial works scheme in July 2011. It is my understanding that this planning process is ongoing and my Department will consider submissions from the Council following this process with a view to early progression of this remedial works scheme.

Seanad: Community Development (25 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Senator Daly for the opportunity to discuss this issue and for his concerns about the alignment of local communities and local government. The programme for Government has committed to a review of local governance structures with a view to improving delivery of services to the citizen. As part of giving effect to this commitment, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 426 together. Information on individual properties is commercially and legally sensitive and has not been released to my Department. The Housing Agency is working with NAMA and local authorities to determine demand and to match this with the properties identified by NAMA as potentially suitable. The exercise of matching demand and inspecting...

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (24 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 429, 445, 456, 457, 462 and 465 together. 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...

Written Answers — Housing Aid for the Elderly: Housing Aid for the Elderly (24 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: In order to determine the capital allocations for 2012, my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements under the grant schemes by 20 January, 2012. The information received is being examined at present with a view to announcing the allocations as soon as possible. It is not envisaged that there will be any change to the 80% recoupment rate which...

Written Answers — Derelict Sites: Derelict Sites (24 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: Section 23 of the Derelict Site Act 1990 provides that a levy may be charged by a local authority on any urban land which is entered on the derelict site register and in respect of which a market value has been determined. This levy must be paid by the owner of the urban land to the local authority in whose functional area the land is situated. The levy is payable until the dereliction...

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

Jan O'Sullivan: Following a request for additional information in regard to this project, a submission was received from Longford County Council on 11 January 2012. The documentation is currently being considered with a view to approving the Council's request to prepare contract documents and to advance the project to tender stage.

Written Answers — Environmental Issues: Environmental Issues (24 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have no function in relation to the matter raised in the Question. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 - 2010, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. Question No. 451 answered with Question No. 442. Questions Nos. 452 and 453...

Mortgage Arrears (19 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this very important matter. I share, as does the Government, his concern about the many people in our society who are in difficulty with their mortgages. The Government is acutely conscious of the difficulties many households are facing in terms of mortgage arrears. In October 2011 we published the report of the inter departmental working group on mortgage...

Mortgage Arrears (19 Jan 2012)

Jan O'Sullivan: The first advice, which is what we all give, is that people should engage with their lender as early as they can. Similarly, the lending institutions need to engage. I wish to be clear about that. We want local authorities to be proactive and to engage with people when they are in difficulties before they are at the point of being on the street, as the Deputy observed. The new measures...