Results 1,961-1,980 of 2,183 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Just to quote what was widely reported in the media and in the Irish Independent, specifically. It referenced a training manual in relation to the Abú database. It read: Facebook will show you the name of the person and often roughly where they live. By engaging with them you may be able to elicit more specific information that will help you pinpoint them in the real-world. You can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: So the Deputy wants us to believe that he thinks it is a credible position that Sinn Féin had a training manual about the Abú database, training members of his party, to do something that was never possible on its system. That is what the Deputy wants us to believe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Was it ever possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: How many people have access to the Sinn Féin Abú database?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Again, that is another reason it is unacceptable that Deputy Ó Broin is before the committee, and not the accountable officer. Deputy Ó Broin does not have an answer to that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: The election period, as the Deputy said-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: We can take that up at the end of the committee when we have time because there was absolutely no option for the general secretary of Fine Gael to send an alternative. When was Abú database system created?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Who paid for this work? How much did it cost? Was there ever any contribution, directly or indirectly, from Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, or the Friends of Sinn Féin to develop or run that system?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: In the 2019 accounts of Sinn Féin, there is no recorded expenditure on IT development. However, there is an expense of £41,595 for IT development recorded in the Sinn Féin accounts in Northern Ireland. What was that expense for?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Chair, as I said-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: -----it is unacceptable that we do not have the accountable officer of Sinn Féin before the committee. It is an affront to this committee. It is unacceptable to me. I will be requesting formally, Chair, that the general secretary or the assistant general secretary of that party comes before our committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Chair, I would ask before you conclude the meeting that you address the issue that I raised at the outset, which was a formal request that the general secretaries of Sinn Féin, People Before Profit and the Independent groups to come before this committee. It is unacceptable that we did not have an accountable officer here from Sinn Féin and I formally put that request here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

John Cummins: Chair, I need to know why the invitation issued to Sinn Féin, which was marked on the Teams website as “Invite to general secretary of Sinn Féin”, was addressed to Deputy Eoin Ó Broin. Deputy Ó Broin has confirmed to this committee meeting that he is neither the general secretary of the party, nor a member of the Ard Comhairle, nor a member of the national...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill 2021 (18 May 2021)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State for his presentation. The general scheme is very exciting. I went to college in Limerick for four years and had a great four years of education down there. As Deputy McAuliffe stated, I am conscious that, with the exception of Deputies Mitchell and O'Donoghue, none of us is from Limerick. I compliment everybody who has been involved in this process to date...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill 2021 (18 May 2021)

John Cummins: Is will one point above the point on the scale that applies to the current chief executive?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill 2021 (18 May 2021)

John Cummins: That is fine. Not to labour the point in terms of a deputy, I appreciate what the Minister of State said regarding the title of deputy mayor. I do not suggest using that title but perhaps there could be a formalised procedure within the council so that matters would not just be dealt with on an ad hocbasis. If the speaker or príomh comhairleoir was unavailable, perhaps there could be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill 2021 (18 May 2021)

John Cummins: I will bow to the knowledge of the people of Limerick.

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 May 2021)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister and thank him for initiating in this House what is some of the most important legislation that will be debated during this Twenty-sixth Seanad. Despite what some would have us believe, the Government takes the housing crisis extraordinarily seriously. Rather than talk about grand plans, ideology and misplaced analysis that the State should be the only player in the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 May 2021)

John Cummins: No.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (11 May 2021)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, for taking this Commencement matter. I congratulate him on his role. I have not to date had the opportunity to do so in the House, which says much about our curtailed schedule. I will not take my full time. This straightforward issue has been brought to my attention and warrants a second look by the Department. I am referring to the new...