Results 1,521-1,540 of 2,180 for speaker:John Cummins

Seanad: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022 : Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome this amendment from the Government. It is an important change. The previous iteration would have excluded anything in the past, whereas we are now capturing that in the previous ten years. People may have been convicted under the Building Control Act in the previous ten years and it is right and proper for the public to know that. That is why we are introducing this in the first...

Seanad: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022 : Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome these proposed changes to the fair deal scheme. I understand and appreciate the concerns in some quarters that these provisions encourage the movement of people into nursing homes. We need to look at them in the reverse and see the benefit of these homes, which are vacant in the case where a family member is already in a nursing home, being brought back into productive use for...

Seanad: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022 : Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome these amendments being brought forward to strengthen the legislation that has already been passed by this House to place the affordable purchase scheme and the shared equity scheme on a statutory footing. Will the Minister comment on the date for the commencement of the shared equity scheme? We are hoping that it will be in place for July. Will he confirm that is the case? In my...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 May 2022)

John Cummins: I genuinely think the Senator has made serious allegations in suggesting An Bord Pleanála would, in some way, not do its duty to adjudicate on planning applications on their merits. We either have faith in our planning system and the independence of An Bord Pleanála to do its job or we do not. I have faith. I am not happy with the delays in An Bord Pleanála and think one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

John Cummins: I thank the witnesses for attending. I acknowledge the work that everyone in the construction sector is doing to ramp up the supply of homes, be they social, affordable, cost rental or private, for families. All stakeholders are committed to meeting the targets contained in Housing For All, as we saw in how quickly the sector was able to rebound after Covid, notwithstanding the challenge of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

John Cummins: I see and understand the viability question. Many of the reasons outlined by Mr. O'Connell a short time ago are absolutely valid. If I am a developer in Waterford and the cost of developing an apartment is €360,000 or €370,000 but my market is at €250,000, there is a viability gap. Why would I go into the ground on something to develop it? Once I go in on an apartment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

John Cummins: Yes, that was my next question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

John Cummins: We are seeing a movement in interest rates. Mr. Taaffe might comment on that in the context of the cost-rental model we are trying to roll out. I have heard some anecdotal evidence that with cost rental we can spread the cost of finance over a 40-year period but there may be a shift in interest rates. We have the cost-rental equity loan, CREL, scheme that is at a very low cost but the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

John Cummins: I will finish by saying that there may be an issue with more of those complex brownfield sites. I am thinking of the north quays in Waterford, where there are significant costs with a podium and piling.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 May 2022)

John Cummins: One of the best value-for-money examples the State has is the roll-out of the disabled person's grant and housing adaptation grants, which are administered through local authorities. There are mobility aid grants of up to €6,000, housing aid for the elderly grants of up to €8,000 and housing adaptation grants of up to €30,000. There are discrepancies, however, between...

Seanad: Regulation of Display of Electoral and Polling Posters and Other Advertisements Bill 2022: Second Stage (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I support amendment No. 1 tabled by Senator Fitzpatrick. I have also been the victim of those mysterious reappearing posters that manifest throughout the country. It is certainly not confined to Dublin. I am sure it is reflected in practice throughout the entire country. I do not have a strong view on this one way or the other. I see the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: I thank the witnesses and I compliment them on the work they do, which is exceptionally valuable. As a former local authority member for 11 or 12 years, the introduction of NOAC reports have been invaluable in being able to pitch the performance of a local authority against others across various headings. There are legitimate questions for management and the executive as to how a certain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: To follow on, for a council to be debating a NOAC report in September for the previous year is a good barometer. It follows the break in August. Obviously, for that to happen, information would have to be published in August in order for it to get onto the agenda in September. In terms of feedback, if the witnesses could get to that point it would be of benefit. I apologise for being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: I am referring to the opening statement to the committee from the audit service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: Apologies. That is my fault. Do the witnesses have a comment on that in general? Do they see procurement as a challenge for local authorities in terms of the indicators they examined?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: I am conscious of time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: It is a split session and I want to be fair to all members. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy would comment on the point in replying to the next speaker, if that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: I would like to think that it was good scrutiny by the councillors in Waterford that had resulted in changes in practice. As there are no Fianna Fáil or Green members present the next slot is for the Independent members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Oversight Audit Commission’s 2021 Annual Report: Discussion (17 May 2022)

John Cummins: The next slot is Fianna Fáil. I am not sure if Deputy Flaherty is present.

Seanad: Media Report on Governance in Local Authorities: Statements (12 May 2022)

John Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House again. I am not sure who requested this debate. It is an important debate but I do not believe the Senator who requested it is in the House, which is a shame. If Senators request debates, they should be in the House when those debates take place in order to contribute. While this discussion on local authorities and the investigation that was...