Results 121-140 of 2,457 for speaker:John Cummins

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (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 statutory procedures governing the issuing of ministerial directions are found in sections 31, 31AM and 31AN of the Planning Act 2000, and the provisions...

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

John Cummins: Under the provisions of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (the Act), each local authority maintains a Vacant Sites Register in respect of their functional area with sites listed in such registers being liable to the vacant site levy, also introduced under the provisions of the Act. As provided for under the Act, the register in respect of each local authority is available for...

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

John Cummins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together. My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I thank Deputy Butterly. The additional provision in the Revised Estimates Volume is to provide for claims yet to be paid to local authorities in lieu of the development levy, which ended at the end of last year. Is the question related to the vacant property refurbishment grant or the development levy waiver?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: It will provide for an additional 660 refurbishment grants, and we expect the total drawdown over the course of this year to be over 2,000 vacant property refurbishment grants. Obviously, that is very significant. The scheme that has been introduced by the Government has been very successful. There will have to be further provision in next year's Estimate. The additional money will bring...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: We have the scheme that is there. It increased from €30,000 to €50,000 for the vacant grant and from €50,000 to €70,000 for the dereliction element of that grant. It can be combined with energy grants, as the Deputy knows, of up to €27,000. That is nearly €100,000 in grant support towards turning a derelict property into a home. It is very...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I hear what the Deputy is saying and she has made the points very well. We have the commercial-to-residential exemption from planning as well, and we are undertaking a wider review within the Department with regard to exempted development to make it easier to convert those commercial units into residential. I appreciate the points the Deputy is making on the grant supports, but it is very...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: It is demand led, obviously. As more applications come in, that gives us a headache in terms of ensuring we have the appropriate level of funding available, but it is an excellent scheme and one we support.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Of course. I thank the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: For 2024?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I am not sure if I have it. The total for this year will be €118 million. I will circulate the figure to the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Staffing of An Coimisiún Pleanála has been ramped up very significantly, as the Deputy will appreciate. When we sat on this committee together, it was one of the issues that was raised consistently. I have to acknowledge the very significant workload that has gone into restructuring, reorganising and reconstituting An Coimisiún Pleanála from An Bord Pleanála. Two...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Yes. Obviously, it is not for this REV but we are very aware of what the ask is there. We have engaged with the commission on it and it is a matter for the budget discussions that are ongoing at the moment. I acknowledge the additional workload that will be there for the commission, particularly around the area the Deputy has highlighted.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: There are a number of reasons for it, such as efficient turnaround of council properties and re-letting. Not all local authorities are using choice based letting, CBL. We want them to. We also want them to be actively be ready to allocate or have an allocated person for that property when the renovation is completed, rather than waiting for the renovation to be completed and then starting...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: From start to-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: If the Deputy has some suggestions, I am more than happy to hear them. As he knows, I am going around the local authority sector and engaging with it. If he has some tangible suggestions, I am always open to accepting them.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: Have a think about it.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I appreciate we are way over time. I expect something to come out of the local democracy task force in this respect. I want local authority members to be empowered to be able to interrogate their executives in local authorities so that they have comparable data to counties next door to them and around the place. If people are efficient in turning that around, they should not have to wait...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised) (2 Oct 2025)

John Cummins: I will address the local property tax first. There was a review of the baseline local property tax in 2024. Part of that baseline review was to ensure that every local authority got at least €1.5 million of an uplift. That increased the amount of local property tax from €353 million to €428 million, so it was an additional €75 million in the base for the local...