Results 1,361-1,380 of 2,156 for speaker:John Cummins

Seanad: School Transport: Motion (21 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I could keep going. I could say Villierstown, Modelligo and Colligan as well. People from all those areas have been in contact. The fundamental error that was made here was reopening applications after the announcement was made that school transport would be free, which resulted in many students who had availed of concessionary tickets for many years being unable to avail of them. These...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: My first question is for Ms O'Reilly. In her opening statement, she said Threshold has heard that some local authorities are unable to provide emergency accommodation and turn away people. What local authorities are these?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: In fairness, the committee will have seven local authorities before us in November. It is important for us to hear which local authorities are turning people away if it is the case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: Ms O'Reilly is stating categorically that she is aware there are local authorities that are turning away people right now-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: -----but she is not willing to share the names of the local authorities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I thank Ms O'Reilly. I have questions for the IPOA and IPAV. I will preface my remarks by saying I am a renter. There are a number of reasons cited as contributing factors as to why Threshold has dealt with more notices to quit in the past six months than it did prior to the pandemic. We are all aware of them. Prices have risen. Many properties have gone out of negative equity and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I might move that along because I have a few other follow-on questions. We have all heard the comments and policies being proposed in regard to a three-year rent freeze. The left-wing Berlin government proposed a five-year rent freeze and within 12 months, not only had that been struck down by the supreme court but it had resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of rental properties...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: A rent freeze, therefore, would certainly result in a further loss of landlords. If the sale of a property could proceed only on the basis that the purchaser agrees to accept the sitting tenant and to comply with the existing rental contract, would that result in more landlords leaving the market?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: Finally, if the Government were to link any future rent reviews to an index based on tenants' wages and landlords' costs, would that result in more landlords leaving the market, if our guests even understand what that means?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I might make one final point. As we know, all of what I outlined has been proposed by the main Opposition party. I have many examples from auctioneers from throughout the country, not only from my only county, Waterford, that the policies being espoused by Deputy Ó Broin and many others in the Opposition parties are resulting, right now, in landlords leaving the market. Can our guests...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: For the record, the answer to that question was "Yes".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: And negatively on the rental market.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I might not need that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: When answering the first round of questions, the witnesses stated that a rent freeze and restricting the sale would have a negative impact, with more landlords leaving the market, which obviously has a negative impact on the supply, which has a further negative impact on my constituents and their ability to get rental properties. I thank the witnesses for answering those questions frankly....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: Yes. The reason they were introduced at that time was to try to regulate market rents. The fear is that if one were to allow market rents to be restored overnight, tenants who would be facing very large increases in rent. I have a complete understanding of the landlords involved in this regard. I have spoken to some of them who are trapped. There are good landlords who try to keep...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: This is despite what Dr. Byrne has identified as a reality, which is that it could result in higher inflation in rental prices. He is saying that we should we still should proceed with that. On the dispute mechanism issue, could IPAV or the IPOA outline what practical follow-on measures could be implemented where a positive decision is in favour of either a landlord or a tenant in order...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I thank Ms McCormick.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: I just want to follow up on one question and a point that Mr. Davitt made in the limited circumstances. I was trying to work out how one would determine that. I suppose it would involve a situation where a notice to quit has not been issued. In such a circumstance, the landlord could then apply. Some 117 affordable purchase homes were advertised today for Waterford city by Waterford City...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: My final question is for Mr. Duggan. In such a limited circumstance, in a scenario where no notice to quit was issued, and such landlords could reset, would that be problematic?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Private Rental Sector: Discussion (20 Sep 2022)

John Cummins: We are all intent on trying to retain landlords in the market. One of the issues identified in this sector is that many are below the market rent, are being caught as a result and are leaving.