Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We meet today as part of a series of meetings on the implementation of Housing for All. We have engaged with a number of local authorities, including in the Dublin area. We are today engaging with local authorities from the greater Dublin area. We have also engaged with local authorities from other cities. We are joined from Kildare County Council by Ms Sonya Kavanagh, chief executive, and Ms Annette Aspell, director of services for housing and corporate services. We are also joined online by Mr. David Creighton, senior architect. They are very welcome.

From Meath County Council, we are joined by Ms Jackie Maguire, chief executive; Mr. Barry Lynch, director of services for housing, community and cultural development; and Mr. Dara McGowan, director of corporate affairs and governance, climate action and emergency services. We are also joined online by Mr. Brian Hora, senior executive officer, and Ms Corrina Elder, senior engineer. I welcome our guests to the committee meeting and thank them for their attendance and for assisting the committee. The committee has committed a substantial amount of time to meeting local authorities to consider the historical delivery of housing and the targets to 2026 under Housing for All. At the end of the series of meetings, the committee will compile a report. We will also meet with the Land Development Agency and some of the approved housing bodies. We will also bring in representatives of the Department. We hope then to produce a report for circulation.

I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members 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 who are attending in the committee room are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contributions to today's meeting. That means they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. Both 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 the witnesses' statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, witnesses will be directed to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction. Those attending the meeting online have limited privilege but still retain some rights and privileges.

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

I will shortly call on our witnesses to make their opening statements. We will start with Kildare County Council, followed by Meath County Council. I note both local authorities have submitted their housing delivery action plans and I thank them for that. I call Ms Kavanagh.