Results 101-120 of 2,457 for speaker:John Cummins

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: To be honest, that is just a bluff of a response as well because the Deputy is well aware that the organisation and role of local authorities in this is important. He knows about the schemes, including the vacant property refurbishment grant, the repair and leasing scheme and the buy and renew scheme.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I did not interrupt the Deputy. All the schemes that are in place are to bring those properties back into use. What we announced in the budget yesterday was a derelict property tax-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Once again, I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: With all due respect, I did not interrupt the Deputy so I would appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to reply. We are introducing that tax as the stick that will come if the carrot of those schemes has not been used. CPOs have a role to play. The issuing of the notices and instructing the owners of those properties to bring them back into use and activate them is also a tool some...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: No problem.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: No problem.

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

John Cummins: My Department has overseen considerable legislative and structural reform of the Irish planning system over the past two years. The National Planning Framework (NPF) has been reviewed to reflect Ireland’s housing and infrastructure goals associated with a growing population and economy, and provides the planning system with a strategic plan to shape the future growth and development...

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

John Cummins: Under the Vacant Site Levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities were empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market valuation of properties listed on registers in 2018, which relevant owners were liable to pay in January 2019. The rate of the levy increased to 7% from 2019 onwards, which site owners became liable to pay the following...

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

John Cummins: The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040. The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to...

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

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 79 and 84 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 force until the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (8 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 126 together. 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 component factors relevant to the preparation of planning...

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

John Cummins: On 15 October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a...

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

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 113 and 121 together. The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040. The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic...

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

John Cummins: The delivery of housing which supports sustainable communities and quality design is a key focus of the National Planning Framework (NPF), first published in 2018 and revised in 2025. The NPF sets out the Government’s strategy for planning that supports a compact growth approach to development, facilitated by sustainable forms of mobility (i.e. public transport, cycling and walking),...

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

John Cummins: The Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) was enacted in October 2024 and is in the process of being commenced. The Act of 2024 introduces a range of measures to streamline the planning process for infrastructure delivery. The Act of 2024 introduces statutory time periods for decision making for An Coimisiún Pleanála (An Coimisiún) for the first time. The headline...

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

John Cummins: The issue of councillor numbers is one which is included in the terms of reference of the Local Democracy Taskforce. The Taskforce was established in June 2024, and it is currently progressing with its work schedule with the aim of delivering recommendations to Government in the first half of 2026. In relation to councillor numbers, the Taskforce has been asked to “examine how the...

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Budget Statement 2026 (7 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: They are €5,000 in the North.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: 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) and which will continue under the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024). 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040. To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 empowers the Minister to direct a planning authority to take such measures as he or she may require to ensure that its development plan complies with the requirements of the Act. The use of this power is conditional on the Minister first receiving a formal recommendation on the matter from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) and...