Results 761-780 of 2,156 for speaker:John Cummins

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

John Cummins: What has happened.

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

John Cummins: What is the way out of it?

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 (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 (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...

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 think Mr. Jones is correct in saying that some local authorities have been better than others in using the CPO powers that are there. I agree with everything there. There is nothing wrong with the local authority making some profit or selling on the land after it is assembled in order to activate it for use now. Others view things very differently. Some would present that as the State...

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: Very good.

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 agree but when we talk about minimum and maximum, how prescriptive should that be? We can have big ranges in minimum and maximum. That equates to something very different on paper. How narrow would Mr. Jones have them, in his professional opinion?

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.