Results 181-200 of 2,457 for speaker:John Cummins

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (17 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672, 674 and 675 together. On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electric Vehicles (17 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: While the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted in October 2024, it is in the process of being commenced. The provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (Act of 2000), and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (Regulations of 2001) remain in force until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted 17 October 2024 and represents a significant reform of the planning system, consolidating over 20 years of planning legislation. A key aim of the Act of 2024 is to put plan-making at the centre of the planning system by bringing increased clarity to the legislation and improving the functioning of the system for both...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (17 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 700 together. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. Tailte Éireann has independent responsibility for all valuation matters, except appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The Planning Design Standards for Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2025 were issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000). Section 28 provides that planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála shall have regard to Ministerial guidelines in the performance of their functions. Where the Guidelines contain specific planning policy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1110, 1122, 1192, 1286 and 1302 together. The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted in October 2024 and is in the process of being commenced. In the meantime, the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (Act of 2000), and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (Regulations of 2001) remain in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The National Planning Framework (NPF) fully supports the sustainable development of rural areas and the need to ensure that they continue to be viable places to live in. In particular, National Policy Objective 27 of the NPF ensures continued support of programmes for ‘new homes in small towns and villages’. County development plans (CDPs) provide the strategic and statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: It is important at the outset that I point out that under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, in my role as Minister with responsibility for planning, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned. The legislative process for the taking in charge of housing estates...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Functions (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1156 and 1157 together. Public participation is a long established and key element of all substantive decision-making processes under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000). It is open to any person to make a submission or observation in relation to a planning application during the public consultation period and on payment of the required...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Childcare Services (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The revised NPF recognises that investment in high quality, affordable early learning and childcare is critical both as an educational support for children, and as an enabler of parental labour market participation. National Policy Objective 41 of the NPF in particular prioritises...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended.  The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Tailte Éireann is a Government agency under the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The legislative process for the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is set out in section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The prescribed process in this regard applies to residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34 of the Act. There is no automatic requirement for local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site as defined in the Act. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (8 Sep 2025)

John Cummins: My Department notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development, including any appropriate...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: Government amendments Nos. 1 and 2 amend section 1 to provide that Part 2 comes into operation on the day immediately following the date of the passing of the Bill. Part 2 amends the Act of 2024 and the amendments will not have effect until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 that they are amending are commenced. By commencing the amendments now, it means that when an order is made...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: I will stick to amendments Nos. 1 and 2. We have had extensive Second Stage debates, both in the Dáil and the Seanad, to make the general points. As I said in my opening remarks, it is a technical amendment to amend the relevant sections of the Act of 2024. Those sections, as amended, will take effect once this is commenced. I will address one point about the translation of the 2024...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: I will address amendments Nos. 3, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 25. I know Members may want to address the amendments to my amendments first perhaps before I respond.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: Let me address the Senators’ proposed amendments. Senators Higgins and Stephenson have tabled a proposed amendment to amendment No. 13, which seeks to provide that the variation of a development plan on foot of a national planning statement or the fact that the provision of the NPF or the RSES takes precedence over a provision of the development plan continued in force from the Act of...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: Amendment No. 4 seeks to repeal the Office of the Planning Regulator. As everyone knows, the OPR was established in April 2019 on foot of recommendations made by the Mahon tribunal. It made 64 recommendations aimed at significantly enhancing the transparency of planning in Ireland, against a backdrop of significant historical deficiencies in decision-making on local authority development...