Results 1,001-1,020 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I apologise for not being present at the start but I was listening to the meeting in the car while travelling so I did hear all of the opening statements. I am not sure who made the comment about our international reputation and the difficulty in that regard. If the community outside of Ireland perceives it to have a problem and delay in terms of planning, then we have a big problem. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: Does Mr. Farrell have no opinion in regard to what that would be? We have to make recommendations, as a committee, so we want to very much reflect what-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: Correct. That is the problem. Is 24 weeks or 26 weeks the appropriate time? I am conscious I have to get to the other organisations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I ask for a comment from Property Industry Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I ask for the comments of Wind Energy Ireland and the Construction Industry Federation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: We have teased out many of the planning issues. One of the issues that is being raised in particular is the viability of apartment development. I wish to tease that out with the witnesses. There has been a flight in the private rented sector, but that presents an opportunity as well were the State to step into that space. These developments were designed and the finance model in place...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: The advantage the sector has in the context of a turnkey social development, let us say, is that one has the knowledge that the entire development is, in essence, fully sold at the end of the process and that gives the sector confidence to build its interest rates in terms of finance, which would probably reduce from 15% to 6%. The witnesses can correct me on the figures but I am offering a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: A difficulty for members of the witnesses' organisations in the context of the cost rental piece is that they are dealing with AHBs predominantly, as well as the LDA in terms of Project Tosaigh. Is there space for cost rental development to be provided by the private sector - there is provision for that in the legislation - or are the witnesses happy with their engagement in collaboration...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I wish to return to the previous point about unlocking the existing planning permissions. Is it prefunding or would it be sufficient that the State guarantees the backstop, as Mr. Kelleher mentioned in his previous comments? Is it prefunding that the State is involved in financing or would it be enough if there is a backstop there that developers can garner their own finance because they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: So, an expanded Project Tosaigh, in essence, is sufficient.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: What additional changes are required to unlock these existing permissions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: Particularly in the urban centres, existing permissions are already in place. Given the comparison Mr. Moran gave about the sizes that we are talking about here, there is a great opportunity for these developments to be unlocked for cost-rental, which would be very advantageous for the State. It is disappointing that there has been a retreat in terms of the private rented sector. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: What I am trying to garner from the witnesses is the design or construct of that because it would be hugely useful if we could tease that out and this is an opportunity now that we have them in the room. There is an opportunity as a result of the retreat from the private rented sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I know it is a submission to the Department but as committee members we would be very interested.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: The difficulty in terms of the front-ending piece is the state aid which is what went to the Commission and is being approved now. The fear I have in what may or may not be suggested from the witnesses is that we are potentially opening up that process again. Can we work within what has already been approved to activate and accelerate delivery?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I thank Mr. Gaine.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (8 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I am seeking the rectification and regularisation of planning permissions that were granted for holiday villages and allow them be used for full-time residential accommodation. This matter has come to my attention not only in my own county of Waterford, but also through being contacted by full-time residents in holiday villages in other...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Issues (8 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State. He has opened the door to the possibility of this but what I want to see now is follow-through on that. I accept all of what he said in his response about the requirement for sustainable planning. The two instances I referred to in Dunmore East and Faithlegg are certainly not remote locations. In one of those instances there were applications from residents...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (7 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: All of us here are acutely aware of the challenges experienced by those who seek planning permission for whatever purpose. We are aware of the challenges that exist at An Bord Pleanála regarding decision-making and some of the stats that have been provided to us. The decision making within the statutory time period has dropped from what I think was an already 57% rate to 45% in 2022....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (7 Feb 2023)

John Cummins: A priority focus needs to be put on developments that are going to the board in terms of housing. One can put a number on it, one can say housing developments of X number of units must get priority. There are the normal circumstances versus the circumstances that we are in with An Bord Pleanála now. We are addressing the staffing concerns. This legislation is for the next 20 years,...