Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The witnesses are welcome to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We meet today to discuss the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024. I am delighted to welcome the following witnesses from the Irish Council for Social Housing: Dr. Donal McManus, chief executive officer; Ms Ailbhe McLoughlin, director of policy; and Ms Lyndsey Anderson, housing policy specialist. We are joined by Ms Orla Cleary and Ms Rosemary Hennigan of Tuath Housing and Mr. Brian O'Gorman of Clúid who are representing the Housing Alliance. The witnesses are all welcome and I thank them for their attendance and assistance to the committee.

To provide a bit of background, this Bill originally came before this committee as the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. We carried out pre-legislative scrutiny and produced a report on that Bill. The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill 2024 has come back to the committee as kind of a subsidiary of that Bill. It deals with two main parts relating to AHBs and cost-rental homes. It has completed its Stages in the Dáil yesterday and will go to the Seanad next week. This meeting, therefore, will be of great benefit to the Senators who will be addressing the Bill next week. It will also be of benefit to TDs who may wish to assist Senators with the Bill.

I will read a short note on privilege before we begin. 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, which is Leinster House, in order to participate in public meetings. Witnesses attending in the committee room are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contributions to today's meeting. 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 make sure they do not do so. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks and 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 or entity outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite Ms McLoughlin to make her opening statement. Will Ms Cleary be making the opening statement on behalf of the Housing Alliance?