Results 561-580 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: Does Ms Timmons have an update on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: I emphasise its urgency. I know Ms Timmons is aware of that but it would be greatly appreciated if we could get movement on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: I will just take the first couple of minutes and then hand over Deputy Higgins. I think it was Mr. Dennigan who, in response to Senator Fitzpatrick, seemed reluctant to say that leasing had a benefit. Am I taking that up wrong? What are his thoughts in relation to that? Obviously, anything that increases supply and provides people with secure tenancies is surely of benefit in keeping...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: Further to that, before I hand over to Deputy Higgins, there is no constraint on the use of the repair and lease scheme by the approved housing bodies. It has been used to great success in Waterford in providing those exact one- and two-bedroom properties that we are talking about here today. They have a role in removing people from homeless or emergency accommodation and in providing them...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Interim Report on Homelessness: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: The structure is the responsibility of the owner of the property, under the repair and lease scheme, as I am sure Mr. Dennigan is aware. That is the main constraint or concern in relation to the full structure of the building. Mr. Dennigan has answered that sufficiently and I will hand over to Deputy Higgins.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome the regulations before us on the exemption of commercial properties from the requirement to go through an often lengthy planning process to be converted into productive residential units for individuals and families. I assure Senator Higgins that this got ample discussion at last Thursday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, where the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Solar Panels for Public Buildings, Schools, Homes and Other Premises) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: These are very important changes that we are seeking to introduce. This will play a critical role in us being able to achieve our climate targets. I share the frustration the Minister of State clearly has in terms of the time it takes to get things done.In fairness, we probably are moving at the pace allowable under the process. For other projects - I do not want to mention roads - such as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: They do not drink in Finglas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (10 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, and the officials for taking on board the suggestions on the class 12 and the pubs. It shows what happens when something is identified on the ground, as was the case here. A vacant, derelict pub in Waterford city was being converted into eight residential units under the repair and lease scheme for housing purposes and they...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2022)

John Cummins: I want to put on record my thanks to the Minister for Transport for the funding of €17.6 million for Waterford's local and regional roads programme announced earlier this week. This is my first opportunity to address the issue. This funding will make a significant difference within my county. The main topic I would like to discuss is the welcome decision of the Supreme Court...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I thank both agencies for coming before us this afternoon. As other speakers said, the role they play in the provision of social and affordable housing is critical and will become even more so in the years ahead. On the topic of cost rental, one of the debates that happened when the legislation was going through the Houses was in relation to moving beyond. At the moment, Government is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: Absolutely. I have a couple of follow-on questions. The Housing Agency stated in its submission that it is "assisting the Department in reviewing the structure and operation of [the] CALF [scheme]". Will the representatives elaborate on that? What changes are being considered? An updated repair and leasing scheme, which has been massively successful in Waterford, is mentioned in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: The Housing Agency is looking at the limit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: Okay. That is a consideration, especially in urban settings. The Housing Agency referenced the shared equity scheme. Is 1 July a realistic timeline in that space?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: Is that also a realistic timeline for the banks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I allowed the Senator some latitude because we have time. It is my turn to put questions and it is not that I am using the position to make it my turn. The Rebuilding Ireland home loan is now the local authority home loan and it is an excellent product that provides finance to enable people to get their foot on the ladder. Perhaps the witnesses might correct me but I believe there was a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: Could we take the individual out of it and speak about the general policy when it comes to wage subsidy? Many people are in that bracket who have been supported throughout the pandemic but the employer is no longer in receipt of a wage subsidy. This affects a host of people. Will they potentially miss an affordable purchase scheme in the second half of this year as a result? It is where I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: Waterford has one of three schemes approved for turnkey affordable purchase. They were some of the first in the country in terms of a joint venture with a developer. They are going to be coming on stream and the application process will open soon. I do not want somebody who meets all of the criteria to unfortunately miss out as a result of his or her employer having been on a wage subsidy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I thank Mr. Jordan. I have a couple of further questions. Mr. O'Leary mentioned in regard to student accommodation that he has not had full sight of the plan for the technological universities. It has been announced that the intention of the Government is to be in that space. In my county of Waterford, plans in that regard are very much ready to roll in the context of the new South East...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I referred to the three schemes in Waterford, but if I take the point more generally in terms of turnkey affordable purchase across the board, Cork has sought expressions of interest from developers to engage with it in order to provide units. There is a difficulty there with the structure. We want to try to de-risk the State's involvement in one sense because of what happened in the past...