Results 41-60 of 1,741 for speaker:John Cummins

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State. These are very important amendments. The decision was made by the Cabinet prior to Christmas to increase the capital allocation to the Land Development Agency to enable it to be able to enhance its capacity to be able to deliver houses throughout the country, be they affordable purchase, cost rental or private houses in regional cities outside Dublin and Cork....

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I thank the Minister of State for taking on board the suggestions made on Committee Stage. It is important, as he said, that the members of Limerick City and County Council would be informed should a decision be made by the elected mayor to delegate a statutory power to the chief executive officer. As he also said, the need for amendment No. 10 does not arise, as we discussed on Committee Stage.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: What is being tabled by Government on Report Stage is a reasonable compromise on the Committee Stage debate. The engagement with the EPA on that representative should give confidence to people looking at this legislation that the appropriate personnel would be appointed to the delivery board following consultation with a highly regarded statutory agency.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Regeneration is of the utmost importance. On Committee Stage, the Minister of State indicated that there was capacity in the Bill to do this. It was obviously his desire to ensure that regeneration was covered. Those two additional functions add to that. I spent four great years in college in Limerick. At that time, the regeneration work was starting. I have been back there many times...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Senator Craughwell did too. Come on now.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Now.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (21 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I wish to make a brief comment before we conclude. I compliment the Minister of State and his team of officials.I thank the Minister of State and his officials for the work they did to bring the legislation through the House and for the constructive manner in which he did so. We were very fortunate to have a Limerick man in office while the Bill was being progressed. Waterford is one of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I congratulate the Deputy Leader on being selected as a candidate for Fine Gael in the upcoming European elections. I wish her the very best. I call for a debate with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on the national aviation policy. There are many issues that Senators from across the House would like to input into that debate, not least the passenger cap in place in Dublin...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: The d'Hondt system has worked in some cases, but there is an irony in it being proposed here, given that in 2019 in Waterford, the d'Hondt system having been in operation for five years previously, when the opportunity arose for Sinn Féin, Independents, the Labour Party and everyone else to exclude Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil from an arrangement, they took it with open arms, without...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I did not support it.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I will be interested to hear the Minister of State's comments. From my reading of the legislation I consider there is nothing precluding what is being looked for here in the legislation and that is the important piece. Is there something precluding it? No. Therefore the local authority will be able to engage with the European Union with regard t all of those funding streams that are...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I previously asked for a debate on disabled persons grants. A review was carried out and my understanding is that it was completed before Christmas. This looked at the local authority grants that are allocated to disabled people to allow them to adapt their homes. So far, we have not seen the detail of the report. I would like to adjust that ask into a wider debate. I know the Leader...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I will be brief. If I was just to listen to Senator Higgins I might agree with some of the points, but the amendments as listed do quite the opposite to what she stated. I have served on two occasions as mayor and it is not appropriate for the mayor to be bringing forward their own motions. The mayor's job, as head of the council, is to chair those meetings and to deal with the business of...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Just to clarify, on the mayor piece, I was referring to the existing mayor role. In the context of my comments the príomh-chomhairleoir is the position.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I listened very carefully to Senator Higgins. While I do not feel there is a necessity for amendments Nos. 24 and 26 in terms of the council being able to reject or approve the delegation of functions, there is validity to amendment No. 25. There should be some basis for people knowing whether the mayor has decided to delegate a function or not. As Senator Higgins noted, perhaps what is...

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I report progress.

Seanad: Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (7 Feb 2024)

John Cummins: I echo the Acting Chair’s comments wishing Senator Craughwell’s daughter the very best. This is an important Commencement matter. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting it. I put it on the agenda for last week but time did not allow for it. I thank the Minister of State for joining us in the House for this debate. I acknowledge the lack of rural GPs is not specifically in...