Results 1,861-1,880 of 2,183 for speaker:John Cummins

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: It is wholly unfair of the Senator to do such a thing.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I respectfully ask her to withdraw the comment.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: Absolutely shameful.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I pay tribute to my colleague, Senator Carrigy, for his moving contribution. It gives us a real sense of the challenges that are faced by families in deciding whether to try to cope at home or put a loved one into a nursing home that provides great care. I commend my colleague. I welcome my fellow Waterfordian, the Minister of State, to the House. I compliment her on bringing forward this...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I thank the Cathaoirleach very much. I use my time on the Order of Business this morning to welcome the pathway which has been created to reopen indoor hospitality. I do so with reservations. As a 34-year-old who is receiving his Johnson & Johnson vaccine today, I have reservations about younger people, in particular, and those who are unvaccinated not having the same ability to...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: Much of the debate has focused on sections 14 and 15 of the Bill and it has turned into a housing discussion so I felt it necessary to comment on the Bill. I echo much of what Senator Mullen said. We are in a housing crisis and, in such a crisis, one must use every tool at one's disposal to tackle the problem. My party and the Government is all about delivery over ideology. We believe we...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister. I acknowledge Senator Warfield, who tabled the initial amendment. In acknowledging that there was broad acceptance from the entire House, it is important to note that we particularly wanted to include the sector in question in the legislation. It is appropriate that the Minister has added the additional mechanisms on "minimum requirements in relation to governance,...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: The Minister rightly points out that, though technical, it is a very significant amendment to allow the cost rental sector to be accessed by local authorities. I have spoken to him before about an idea I put to him on the use of the repair and lease scheme and how it could be combined with the cost rental scheme. On the double, it would remove dereliction from our cities, towns and villages...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I might touch briefly on the regulations that will be published in the coming weeks. I have received many queries about the cost-rental units that the Minister launched last week in Fingal and the €53,000 figure, which I understand is the net figure as opposed to gross. It is important that this be clarified and he might do so. In the context of ramping up the cost-rental equity...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: This is a welcome move. It was well flagged in the Minister's Second Stage speech here that it was going to be brought forward as an amendment in the Dáil. I have a slight concern that it may increase the price of houses in the remaining 80% of the development, but I accept that it is one of the quickest mechanisms for the delivery of affordable housing by attaching a 10% affordable...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I had not intended coming in but I have to. We had people saying in the earlier debate that we cannot have leasing. Now we are told we cannot have public private partnerships. We do not want to vote for an LDA which will be tasked with providing public housing on public land. I have said time and again we have to use every mechanism at our disposal, be it the councils, the approved...

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: That is absolutely nothing to do with delivery of-----

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I propose to share time with Senator Kyne, if that is agreeable. We will have five minutes and three minutes, respectively.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for bringing this Bill before us, which seeks to formally establish the LDA. The latter has the potential to be a very useful tool in the delivery of large-scale residential projects across the State, particularly in the main urban centres. Any individual or party that is serious about tackling the supply issues in housing should warmly welcome...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I apologise for joining the meeting late. I do not know many people who have installed gold-plated taps, but I take Dr. Walsh's point in the round. It is welcome that we are moving towards a four-year review and that we set in stone that it is what it is, with no delays for any reason. The change in the bands, in order to mitigate any increase, is very welcome also. Bringing estates that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: That is no problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I have one final question. I omitted to ask it earlier. It relates to an issue which has always been a bugbear for councillors. I spent 11 years on Waterford City and County Council. The timing of when the local property tax notification has to go to Revenue does not correlate with the local authority budget process. It is a separate meeting which has to take place a month ahead of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I appreciate that but we might take the two issues separately. I accept that the revaluation point is different, but in the main, it is a very frustrating and unworkable position for local authorities to be faced with making decisions without knowing the parameters of their budgets. I ask the Department to reconsider all its processes. Even a three-week period would make a considerable...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: Today was due to be the day indoor hospitality reopened. We all know that last week a decision was made to pause that reopening, based on dire modelling figures presented to the Cabinet. Naturally, this has caused significant hurt and anger. I am especially sorry for those establishments which do not have outdoor seating areas and are restricted from even having limited opportunities to...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Jul 2021)

John Cummins: I appreciate Senator Moynihan's point and acknowledge the response of the Minister, who has indicated he is considering wider protection in this space. It is a significant move to restrict deposits to the equivalent of two months' rent and the introduction of a deposit protection scheme is something I would like to see, if possible in the autumn. On Second Stage I suggested tying the...