Results 2,021-2,040 of 2,164 for speaker:John Cummins

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements (22 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I will try to make six minutes into two minutes. I thank the Minister. I will try to be brief and confine my points. The national development plan in the context of the national planning framework is very important for areas such as County Waterford, which is identified as one of the strategic areas in the national planning framework for population growth of 30,000 to 35,000 between now...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Waiver of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Residential Tenancies Bill 2021 (16 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I confirm that I am in Leinster House. I agree with much of what the Chair and Deputy McAuliffe said. I know it is Cheltenham week but I am not willing to gamble with protections for renters. We have protections in place. If we do not waive this pre-legislative scrutiny, we risk these protections. I am not willing to take the chance of people being left in a legislative lacuna where...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: In December, I raised on the Order of Business the matter of Waterford City and County Council's application to the urban regeneration and development fund, and I do so again this morning to highlight the necessity of Government support for what I believe will be a transformative regeneration project for Waterford city centre, focusing on 22 projects across the Viking triangle and cultural...

Seanad: Family Leave Bill 2021: Second Stage (12 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: Before I start, I had better assure my Government colleagues that I have not joined the Opposition benches; it is just the seat I have been assigned. I welcome the Minister to the House. It is the first time I have had the opportunity to engage with him on legislation and I join with others in complimenting him on bringing forward this Bill, which is going to have a positive and profound...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020 (Resumed): Land Development Agency (9 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: To confirm, I am in Leinster House. I will begin by thanking Mr. Coleman and his growing team at the LDA for their presentation and for the work they are doing. Mr. Coleman probably addressed a lot of the negative commentary in respect of the LDA, which I believe has been unjustified, in the first round of questioning. One element he did not get to address, which I would like to give him...

Seanad: Private Rental Sector: Motion (8 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I second the amendment. I do not propose to stand here for six minutes and pretend there are no issues in housing; there are. Likewise, I do not propose to say there are sufficient affordable homes available for working families and individuals because there are not. Equally, however, I do not propose to sit here for the next two hours listening to Sinn Féin pontificate about...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (5 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State for his attendance and his continued work across his portfolio. The issue I raise this morning relates to the estimated 11% of Irish people who get their water from private water supplies. As the Minister of State will be aware, varying levels of grants are available under the rural water programme for the carrying out of works to private water supplies, be...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (5 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I welcome the changes that were introduced last year. They were a recognition of the real costs involved. I also welcome the review. I hope what I have suggested in terms of inserting the "and-or" clause in recognition of the higher costs for treatment, in particular in areas where water quality is poor, will be fed into the review. I also hope the review will have a successful outcome....

Seanad: Local Government (Use of CCTV in Prosecution of Offences) Bill 2021: Second Stage (5 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: On 18 January, the Irish Examinerran a story with the headline "Waterford council reprimanded for using CCTV to monitor illegal dumping". The article read: Waterford City and County Council has been officially reprimanded for its use of CCTV to monitor public activity by the Data Protection Commissioner. The admonishment by the commissioner, which was handed down in October of last year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I confirm I am in Leinster House. I, too, thank witnesses for attending this morning to give evidence on this very important legislation. This affordable housing Bill will provide local authorities, the LDA, approved housing bodies and the private sector with a set of tools they have not had before to try to increase supply of units and bridge that affordability gap for many individuals and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I am sorry to intervene, but time is limited. The specific question here relates to on-balance-sheet and off-balance-sheet. If everything is being channelled through the approved housing bodies sector, which is doing fantastic work, we must be cognisant that this is on-balance-sheet. I know there is a desire eventually to attract long-term pension funds with a 40-year horizon that are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: It is a very important question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I will come back in, if I may.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: I will take up where I left off in my first round of questions. Do the witnesses agree that in order to ramp up the scale of delivery of affordable homes, we must get cost rental taken off balance sheet? Do they agree that flexibility is required in legislation and regulations in order to enable organisations beyond the approved housing bodies to partake in cost rental schemes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: We all accept we must ramp up the provision of these homes. It is no disrespect to say that, as I did in my first round of questions to the alliance members, who are doing fantastic work in the provision of social homes. Cost rental is a new sector and approved housing bodies have been tasked with proving the concept. In order to ramp up production of these homes, we must get this off...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: What horizon would it be?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: Is the witness aware of organisations outside of the approved housing bodies that have approached local authorities to provide affordable schemes? I do not mind whether it is a local authority, a land value alliance, an approved housing body or the private sector that comes in to provide these homes. To be frank, I do not believe the public cares who provides such a home as long as people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: It would be off balance sheet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2021)

John Cummins: Mr. Taaffe is right and it would be a welcome move. Any provision of homes is clearly welcome.