Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our colleagues and, more importantly, I welcome the guests who are here with us today. I have a little bit of housekeeping to do and hope they can bear with me. Can I take it that the draft minutes of our public and private committee meetings on 18 January 2023 are formally agreed and that there are no matters arising? Is that agreed? Agreed.

This meeting has been convened to discuss the general scheme of the registration of short-term tourist letting Bill 2022. On behalf of the committee I warmly welcome the tourism policy unit from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, namely, Mr. Bernard O'Shea, principal officer, and Ms Michelle O'Mahony, assistant principal. Given that the Bill addresses action 20.4 of the Housing for All action plan, which seeks to develop new regulatory controls requiring short-term holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland are also in attendance. To this end I also welcome from the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, Mr. Terry Sheridan, principal officer, and Mr. Eoghan O'Brien, assistant principal. From Fáilte Ireland I welcome Ms Jenny De Saulles, director of industry development, who is joined by Mr. Fergal O'Leary, head of legislation and grading. They are all very welcome.

The format of the meeting is such that I will invite our witnesses to deliver their opening statements, which are limited to three minutes. This will be followed by questions from my colleagues. As the witnesses are probably aware, the committee may publish the opening statements on its webpage.

Before I invite our witnesses to deliver their opening statements, I must explain some limitations with regard to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses with regard to references that witnesses make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected pursuant to the Constitution and statute by absolute privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of that person or entity.

Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to any identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks.

Members 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 House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I also want to remind members of the constitutional requirements that they must be physically present within the confines of Leinster House to participate at the public meeting.

I propose we proceed to opening statements from Mr. Bernard O'Shea from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts. Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Mr. Terry Sheridan from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Ms Jenny De Saulles from Fáilte Ireland.

I propose that I be excused from the committee for a little while due to unforeseen circumstances and that Senator Malcolm Byrne takes the chair in my absence. Is that agreed? Agreed. I will be back to join the conversation in a little while.