Results 1,801-1,820 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: It just seems slow. Does Mr. Nestor wish to comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: In the case of living over a shop, for example, it is commonly pointed out it is very hard to apply current regulations to older buildings and that that is an impediment to bringing a lot of these buildings back into use. Mr. Keeley and Mr. Nestor might like to comment on that. We have seen excellent examples in my county, Waterford, through the repair and leasing scheme and so on, which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: What about compartmentalisation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: Sprinkler systems were mentioned. Is it the case a sprinkler system has to have its own, tanked source of water and that it cannot be connected to the mains for use in new apartment complexes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: So it is the case that for use of the sprinkler system for X period of time in any new apartment complex, it has to have X capacity of water in its own right. Therefore, if we look at city centre and brownfield sites, we are looking at significant excavation under or on top with regard to the provision of its “own source” of water for the sprinkler systems. Is that the case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: It seems like that is quite an engineering task to have to overcome when we are looking at density and requirements in constrained city centre sites. It is what it is, of course, but it adds significant cost to any build in terms of a viability measure in city centre sites.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: I want to go back to the issue of sprinkler systems. Mr. Keeley said that he had argued for the sprinkler systems to be installed in the nursing home setting. I would not disagree with him on this point. In Mr. Keeley's experience of dealing with fires in the course of his career, has there ever been a situation where the public water supply was not available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: For that very reason, the fire tenders have tanks with sufficient capacity to manage until the next hydrant is reached.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: Where I am going with the question is the requirement to have tanked or elevated storage or reservoir storage for sprinkler systems. If the public water main is available to the Fire Service, then it is available to the building prior to the arrival of the Fire Service. To go back to the Department, I am really questioning the need for tanked or reservoir storage for sprinkler systems on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: I am not questioning the importance of the system; I am questioning the source and supply of what goes into that sprinkler system. Is Mr. O'Dowd aware of any situation where a sprinkler system has not been able to avail of a public water source?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: On the perceived versus the actual and the guidance on older buildings, it is a topic I have done a huge amount of work on in my county. Mr. Nestor touched in the opening round on the fact much of it can be got around in bringing older buildings back into use. There are still difficulties with some and it seems there is a conflict involving one arm of the Department that is trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: Yes, please, particularly around access arrangements. The biggest hurdle, particularly in city centres where a ground floor is commercial and it is residential above, is access to the street and exiting the building when it comes to fire.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: Is that practical document fully taken on board when inspections occur?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Building Regulations (Fire Safety): Discussion (21 May 2024)

John Cummins: I assume the witnesses would dismiss the assertion that a pragmatic approach may be taken by one inspector and not by another. The problem with something not being black and white, notwithstanding the document asking for a pragmatic approach to be taken on an older building, is one fire inspector could be of a view to work with people to do this, but another fire inspector could say, "No, we...

Seanad: Housing Commission Report: Motion (29 May 2024)

John Cummins: I thank the Acting Chairperson. I welcome the Minister of State. Listening to the Sinn Féin representatives deliver their prepared speeches, one could forgive them for leaving out the fact that many of the things which are undoubtedly working and which were put in place by the Government have been shamelessly opposed by their party. Last year, 32,700 homes were delivered in this...

Seanad: Housing Commission Report: Motion (29 May 2024)

John Cummins: How many approved?

Seanad: Housing Commission Report: Motion (29 May 2024)

John Cummins: Careful there. One of your own TDs has said that you want to abolish-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I echo the comments of many colleagues with regard to those who stood in elections - those were elected and those who were unsuccessful. It takes a huge amount of courage to put one's name on a ballot paper. We were delighted to gain a seat in Waterford and to be the largest party in local government on Waterford City and County Council. Two new councillors - Niamh O'Donovan and Jim...