James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

Good afternoon and you are all very welcome to our public meeting. Apologies have been received from Deputies Tony McCormack and John Clendennen. Before I proceed, I have a few housekeeping matters to go through. I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the House as regards references that witnesses make to other persons in their evidence. They are protected by absolute privilege in respect to the presentation they make to the committee. This means they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, they are expected not to abuse this privilege and it is my duty as Chair to ensure that 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 your remarks. It is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

I advise members of the constitutional requirements that members must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where they are not adhering to this constitutional requirement and, therefore, a member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In this regard, I would ask any member partaking via Microsoft Teams that prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm they are on the grounds of the Leinster House complex.

Members and 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 or her real identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in relation to an identifiable person or entity, they will be directed to discontinue their remarks, and again it is imperative that they comply with any such direction.

The item on today's agenda is pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the short-term lettings and tourism Bill. The Minister referred the revised general scheme of the Bill to the committee in accordance with Standing Orders. The committee met officials from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and representatives of Fáilte Ireland on 15 October 2025. The committee has now decided to meet representatives of various stakeholders. I propose that we publish the opening statements and submissions provided by the witnesses on the committee's website. Is that agreed? Agreed.

In relation to speaking arrangements, I suggest to the committee that we invite our witnesses to speak for around five to ten minutes and that we allow members to ask questions or make comments for around seven minutes each. They may have a second round of questions if time is permitting. Members may be called in the order in which they appear on this week's speaking rota, which was circulated before the meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the representatives here today. We are joined from Threshold by Ms Ann-Marie O'Reilly, national advocacy manager, Mr. Zak Murtagh, legal officer, and Mr. Gareth Redmond, research and policy officer. From the Irish Host Community, we are joined by Ms Sarah Cronin-Falvey, Ms Lorna Cahill and Ms Karla Piner. They are all most welcome to our committee today.

I now invite Ms Ann-Marie O'Reilly, national advocacy manager of Threshold, to make her opening statement.