Results 1,381-1,400 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: I have a good experience. I appreciate it is not like that everywhere but, as has been said, good practice guidelines in terms of documentation can be useful. Perhaps what was done in Waterford is a good template for other areas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: Mr. Keran mentioned utilising exemptions to avoid the land value share. When the Department was in before the committee a couple of weeks ago, I asked the officials, notwithstanding that we want to see more social and affordable housing, whether they saw that an exemption in place for social and affordable housing may have the adverse effect of just driving a particular type of development....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: If it was more financially beneficial to just go with one tenure type and avoid the land value share, would Mr. Keran see that as a risk?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: Is that for a single tenure type?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: I am not saying that it has to happen, but consider the owner of the site who is being hit with the land value share of 30% to develop market housing. He or she can develop social housing without being hit for 30% or develop market housing and be hit for 30%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: If we believe that to be a risk, how could we calibrate that in a better way? I think it is a risk and I said this to the Department a couple of weeks ago. I appreciate that the witnesses might not have an answer to this now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: Like it or loathe it, LVS is a blunt instrument here. I just have a fear that we are going to create communities that are not balanced. The same applies in the reverse. If we have an area that has solely private housing, for example, and we need to see the development of social housing or affordable housing in an area, it could be a very useful tool. If, however, we have an area that has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: They are not stated to be, yes, but as we know, there are a lot turnkey social units which are delivered by the market. I think it is a quick delivery mechanism, so it would not capture those. Is that what Mr. Jones is saying? I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps the Chair is onto something in that. Maybe when we are making our report on this, we need to flag that. Perhaps...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: Perhaps we can tease it out. I thank the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

John Cummins: A person would get planning permission for a unit. It is not designated as a social, affordable, or private house at planning stage.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

John Cummins: I want to touch on two issues. The first is to welcome the decision yesterday by the Cabinet. I commend the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, on introducing changes to increase the sentence for assault causing harm to members of the Garda and emergency personnel. Anybody who assaults a police officer or somebody in emergency services who is doing their best to serve and assist the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 May 2023)

John Cummins: I raise the issue of passports. I hoped that we would not have to raise this issue this year, given the significant resources that Government put into the Passport Office last year. While many get an exceptionally efficient service, particularly with online applications for renewals, it has to be said that there are still issues with paper-based applications through An Post. A person...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 May 2023)

John Cummins: I welcome the decision made by the Government yesterday to award the new search and rescue services contract. The contract has received much debate in this House and further afield. The important thing for me is that the contract maintains the four bases of Waterford, Shannon, Sligo and Dublin. A new operator will take over this very significant contract worth €670 million. It is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 May 2023)

John Cummins: Oh God.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: I too join with Members in expressing my deep sympathy to the family and friends of the late, great Paul Coghlan. It was an absolute pleasure to have known what I would describe as the most generous and kind man. He gave of his time to so many in terms of nurturing and advising people, including me, over the years. I will always be thankful for that. I too would like to raise the issue of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: I thank the three bodies for being here this afternoon. It is much appreciated. As all my colleagues have said, our primary goal here is to speed up the delivery of homes. This session was pencilled in a number of months ago. If I may start with the ESB, one of the topics at that point in time, in February, was media reports of demands for payments in respect of connections for developers....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: Does the CIF want to comment in that respect? I appreciate that this is an issue for the ESB, but connections and their speedy resolution is an issue the CIF's members raise on an ongoing basis with committee members. We all want to see connections delivered quickly, be it from Irish Water or from the ESB. Perhaps the witnesses do not want to go into the specifics but, in general, just in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: I have just one final question. Has there been any further contact with that confidential line relating to any other allegations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: That would be important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Infrastructure Provision and Residential Developments: Discussion (13 Jun 2023)

John Cummins: If Mr. Tarrant could confirm to the committee subsequently whether there has been - I know he has said that to his knowledge-----