Results 581-600 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

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

John Cummins: Given the type of project that is being delivered here, and that ultimately the type of people we are looking at are those who qualify for affordable purchase, could Mr. O'Leary's organisation be involved. It is a local authority affordable purchase scheme, albeit that it is being delivered by the market.

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

John Cummins: Perhaps it is something that could be considered. We are in the early days of this and it is a moveable feast. As has been said, we are moving in terms of the risk element involved. In order for us to meet our targets, this is going to become an issue for many local authorities. If we can develop some process in order to lower the finance, the purchaser will ultimately get the unit at a...

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

John Cummins: That is understood.

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

John Cummins: Of course not.

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

John Cummins: Six months was stipulated, but three months was the point I was making. Therefore, three months would not be as much of a problem as six months.

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

John Cummins: I thought it was the third.

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

John Cummins: I will bring Deputy Ó Broin back in, but I just wished to break it up a bit.

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

John Cummins: On the serviced site piece and in terms of the envelope of funding available, I am conscious that the further into the year we go, the more difficult it will be to spend the envelope. Many counties, including Waterford, have a desire to have serviced sites on the edges of rural towns and villages. One would be inundated if such a scheme were opened in the morning. The cities, about which I...

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

John Cummins: I am sure his colleague, Deputy Cullinane, would be disappointed to hear him refer to Waterford as a town when, in fact, it is a city. It was voted the best city in Ireland to live in. I should know this. It is welcome that the cities fund is open. We have the best of both worlds. We can benefit from the rural and urban parts. On the home loan piece, not to reopen the subject I asked...

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

John Cummins: On the shared equity scheme, we said 1 July was an accurate timescale to work towards. When the scheme was first announced, the maximum purchase prices were at a certain level. Obviously, some of them have increased, particularly, as Mr. Baneham said, outside Dublin. There was a cap of €250,000 placed on Waterford. When one looks at the median house price data from the Central...

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

John Cummins: For instance, the price range for a three-bedroom semi-detached house, which is what we are talking about, a starter home for families, in Waterford is €275,000 to €300,000. It would not make sense to launch a scheme on 1 July to allow someone to purchase and have an equity share in a property when there is no property available at that purchase price. I have two final...

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

John Cummins: I will hand back to Deputy Ó Broin but I have one further question. Will I ask it now and he can finish afterwards?

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

John Cummins: In my first round, I asked about the mismatch in respect of the €850 million envelope that extends to 2026 in terms of the cost rental. The HFA has an appetite for providing more finance for CREL schemes, and it has estimated for a further €850 million in cost rental finance. As I said, based on the €93 million that is being provided for the 390 cost rental homes and...

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

John Cummins: Mr. O'Leary is far better at maths than I am, so I will bear with his expertise.

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

John Cummins: Yes, of course. We will finish with Deputy Ó Broin.

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

John Cummins: If there are no further questions, do the witnesses have concluding remarks they would like to make?

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

John Cummins: On behalf of the committee I thank the representatives of the Housing Agency and the Housing Finance Agency for their time this evening. It is much appreciated by all the members. We wish the witnesses well in their endeavours in the coming 12 to 24 months in particular, as we ramp up the delivery of social and affordable homes. Were the witnesses to extend the good wishes of the committee...

Seanad: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (Number 2) Regulations 2022: Motion (30 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (Number 2) Regulations 2022, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 23rd March, 2022.”

Seanad: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (Number 2) Regulations 2022: Motion (30 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State, who is here in place of the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke. These are very important regulations as continue to grapple with the pandemic, though the severity of it is less. It is an important and prudent move by Government to ensure we can continue to provide testing and vaccination centres to the public. As the Minister of State rightly indicated,...

Seanad: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Mar 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is a significant and lengthy Bill that runs to 65 sections, as he referenced. That is why he has not managed to get through all of his speech thus far. The Bill and its provisions are contained in the Housing for All policy document produced by the Government. It is an important measure to put the register on a statutory footing....