Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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I welcome everybody to the committee. Today is our third in a series of meetings we are holding on urban renewal and urban regeneration and how to bring some life, living and economic vibrancy back to our urban and rural towns and our villages.

Today we are joined by Technological University, TU, Dublin. I am delighted to welcome Mr. Odran Reid and Ms Helen Murray O'Connor from TU Dublin, who will talk about some of the spatial planning aspects and the data and information we require in terms of our spatial analysis of our land, properties and buildings, as well as the planning aspect of it. I thank both Mr. Reid and Ms Murray O'Connor for their written submission.

We are also joined by Ms Giulia Vallone, senior architect and county architect, from Cork County Council. I thank her for a very detailed and lengthy written submission she sent into us in which she raised some very interesting aspects about how we can best utilise public realm space because it is not just about full occupancy or full residential use of a town. There are always other bits and pieces that make it a nice place to live and get around in.

We are also joined by Mr. Mel Reynolds, an architect who has done much study and work, much of which I have read, on vacancy and on the difficulties in bringing vacant and derelict spaces back into use, and some of those regulation and process difficulties. I thank him for his submission as well.

We are also joined by Ms Maria Graham, Mr. Patrick O'Sullivan and Mr. Paul Hogan from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We will look at some of the objectives in Housing for All around Croí Cónaithe and urban renewal and urban regeneration generally.

I thank everyone for their attendance and assisting us today. The committee intends to compile a report from this with recommendations on a number of areas we could look at, consider and promote to encourage what we would like to try to do.

I will read a short note on privilege. Members are reminded of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, to participate in public meetings. Members attending in the meeting room or remotely from within the Leinster House complex are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their contributions to today's meeting. This means they will have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting.

For witnesses attending remotely, there are some limitations to parliamentary privilege. As such, they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as a person who is physically present within the Leinster House complex. Members and witnesses are expected not to abuse the privilege they enjoy, and it is my duty as Chair to ensure that 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 and it is imperative 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 that have been submitted to the committee will be published on the committee website after this meeting.

I note to members that we have quite a few expert witnesses with us today, so I ask them to direct their questions to a particular witness. If any of the witnesses wish to come in on a question, I ask them to raise their hand and I can bring them in. We will do seven-minute slots initially and then, if we have time at the end, we will go into a third round of questions.

I will first turn to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I invite Ms Graham to make the opening statement on behalf of the Department.