Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Today, we meet to discuss the proposed changes to River Shannon, Grand and Royal Canals and River Barrow navigation by-laws.

We are joined today, from Waterways Ireland, by Mr. Éanna Rowe, who is the operations controller, and Mr. Patrick Harkin, the inspector of navigation. From the Royal Canal Amenity Group, we are joined by Mr. Derek Whelan, who is the director, and Mr. Niall Galway, the secretary; and from the Irish Residential Boat Owners Association, we are joined by Mr. Jerry Gleeson and Mr. Liam Finnegan. The opening statements have all been circulated in advance to us and we thank the groups for providing them for us.

I welcome all the people in the Public Gallery here today. I do not think we have ever had such a crowd for the housing committee. A lot of people are watching online today and there is a great deal of interest in it. There are other people outside the door who have not been able to get a seat so if anybody wants to leave at any point, we will not be insulted and he or she can offer up that seat to somebody else if he or she wishes.

I also welcome Ms Alice Giles and Ms Olivia Coey from St. Mary's College, Arklow. Arklow does not have a canal but they are two students who did some research for the BT Young Scientist Exhibition on the prospect of living on boats on canals. If anybody wants to talk to the two young student researchers there, I am sure they would be delighted for that opportunity.

I will read a quick note on privilege before we commence.I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place where the Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, to participate in public meetings. Witnesses attending in the committee room are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contributions. This means they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. Members and witnesses are expected not to abuse the privilege they enjoy and it is my duty, as Chair, to ensure this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

Members and witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

The opening statements we have received from the three witness groups will be published on the committee's website after the meeting.

Before I invite the witnesses to make their opening statements in the order of Waterways Ireland, the RCAG and IRBOA, I will say we met previously, on 21 September, as they will remember. It was Deputy Flaherty who had raised the issue about these by-laws. We only had that opportunity for a one-hour meeting. I want to assure the groups that we have the full three-hour slot available for them today and there will be no need to rush anything. Many of the people who are here in the Public Gallery and many emails have come in to us raising questions and concerns. We will get an opportunity to raise all those questions and have plenty of time. We will do so because I expect members other than members of the committee to contribute today, in six-minute slots. We can come back again in a second round, if there are further questions to be answered. There are six minutes to ask the question and to receive the answer as well.

I will invite the groups to make their opening statements. I call Mr. Rowe, on behalf of Waterways Ireland.