Results 581-600 of 2,457 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: In my first round I addressed the connection issues. One of the key difficulties Uisce Éireann faces as an organisation is water and wastewater legacy issues in Celtic tiger developments that have not been taken in charge. What is the position of Uisce Éireann? Is it a case that Uisce Éireann is saying they are nothing to do with it, these are developments that occurred 15...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: What happens where they did not? That is the issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: Does Uisce Éireann have a programme in place where minimal funding is required to solve an issue so that it can be done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: Some may require minimal work and some may require significant works. Uisce Éireann is aware of some of them that require minimal works. What is being done with regard to those?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: There is a case, which I have raised with Uisce Éireann, at Cruachán in Dungarvan. It was an old McInerney Homes estate. McInerney Homes went into receivership. There has been subsequent development on the site and 60 of the units were originally taken in charge. Essentially, two developers are at play there at the moment, there is the local authority and there is Uisce...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I know. I am not saying that. I have raised this. I have been chasing this for two or three months. A meeting was held in the civic offices in Dungarvan with the four parties. Uisce Éireann had a senior person there, obviously under Ms Attridge's level, and subsequently they came back and said that because the estate had not been taken in charge, Uisce Éireann was not willing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: About 60 of these units are already taken in charge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I would appreciate if Uisce Éireann would come back to me. I am waiting on a response on this for the past number of weeks. I have raised it with Uisce Éireann but have not been getting the response. This is the only reason I have raised it here in public session.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: No. I have not got an answer. I would not raise it here in public session if I had an answer but I did not get one. How much of the small towns and villages growth programme fund of €96 million has been spent or drawn down?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I would have thought so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: It is on the Uisce Éireann website: stage 1, strategic assessment; stage 2, preliminary business case; stage 3, final business case; and stage 4, construction. Typically, what is the strategic assessment timeline on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: In the case of Lemybrien, it took more than two and a half years. Is that appropriate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I raised Lemybrien and the small towns and villages growth programme the last time Mr. Gleeson was in. It took more than two and a half years to get through stage 1. The Government has given Uisce Éireann €96 million that is not actually required until the tail end of the process. That is my frustration as a public representative and it is also the frustration of those on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: That separation piece is a big body of work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I will return to some of the questions on the transfer of staff and how that is coming along. What is the headcount in Uisce Éireann as an organisation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: About 150 came through in that process-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: -----but overall 500 out of 1,500, give or take. I am not holding the witnesses to numbers. Regarding the roadshows Uisce Éireann held and the 1,000 who have expressed interest in coming across, there is another 1,500 who have not. What is the feedback as to why they do not want to come across? Reference was made to the age profile and people who may be retiring shortly. However,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: One of the difficulties with having full employment is there are opportunities and it is a difficult recruitment market. It is a challenge for every organisation. While 1,000 people have expressed an interest, Uisce Éireann will never get all 1,000, considering the conversion rate. I would imagine Uisce Éireann would prefer to be starting from a higher base to get to 1,000 in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: A matter I raised previously - Mr. Gleeson might remember it – was about brownfield sites, bringing vacant premises back into use and so on. I kind of touched on it earlier with the connection piece. I refer to the connection charges. It was mentioned previously that Uisce Éireann is bound by the Commission for Energy Regulation in respect of the charges that were levied, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Current Progress and Future Projections of Uisce Éireann Objectives: Uisce Éireann (18 Jun 2024)

John Cummins: I raised this with the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, last week as well. We all want to see those properties in villages, towns and cities being renovated and brought back into use, but the charges can be an impediment to that happening. Nobody wants that. Universally, there is nobody in any organisation who wants to see a vacant property on a main street. However, it can be an...