James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I wish everyone a good afternoon. You are all very welcome to our public meeting. This is our last meeting before May Day, about midway through the spring equinox and summer solstice. That is the fun fact for the day.

Before we proceed, I have a few housekeeping matters to go through as follows. I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards the references witnesses make to other persons in their evidence. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of 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 this privilege is not abused. Therefore, if a witness's 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.

I advise members of the constitutional requirement that they 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 he or she is not adhering to that constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In this regard, I ask members participating via Microsoft Teams to confirm, prior to making their contribution to the meeting, that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House campus.

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

The minutes of the previous meetings on Tuesday 21 April and Wednesday 22 April were circulated and agreed in private session. Does anyone wish to contribute?

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I have one point to raise on that, please, if the Chair does not mind. I thank him very much for allowing me to do so.

We agreed last week in private session that we would look at the draft report but that we would write to the two Ministers, and, upon them coming back to us on the short-term letting Bill, we would then put in our submissions. There is no point putting them in as we agreed because we are working on it a bit blind. There is only one line in the minutes that I want to alter, which states that the committee agreed that members should review the draft report and come back with suggestions for next week's private meeting, which would be this week. However, there is no point coming back with suggestions until we hear back from the two Ministers. We did not agree that last week, so I just want to change that, if that is okay.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for her clarification. Does anyone else wish to contribute?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I want to reiterate the ridiculous situation we are in around that Bill where we are expected to carry out pre-legislative scrutiny on it and we do not have the planning guidelines. It is absolutely inexcusable.

There is no excuse whatsoever for that. We are working in the dark with it and I want that relayed to the Ministers in the strongest possible way. We have not had an explanation as to why this is the case. We are here struggling with this and trying to do scrutiny on behalf of the people, but the providers are in a situation of not knowing what is going to happen or how it is going to impact them, their livelihoods, their families or anything. It is wholly unacceptable.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Does anyone else wish to contribute? From my perspective as Cathaoirleach there is a pretty uniform view among all of us who have been watching this closely that there is a sense of frustration with respect to the planning statement and guidelines. We need to get those. I will be meeting the Minister, Deputy Browne, today. We have issued a letter to him and I have said both publicly and in private that we as a committee have done a huge body of work on this and we should be given respect by being furnished with the details we need to conclude our work and scrutiny in respect of this. To address the representative organisations that are watching this very closely, it is of the utmost concern to the committee. I appreciate this being highlighted by both Senator Nelson Murray and Deputy Conway-Walsh, as well as other members.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Sorry Chair, but just to finish off, can I have it confirmed we are not expected to come back with suggestions for this week?

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I will ask for guidance at this point. What we can do is address it in private session. We may get an opportunity to do so following this meeting. Is that okay?

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Thank you.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you very much, Senator. The minutes of 21 April and 22 April were circulated and agreed in private session, which is the correct procedure.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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With the caveat that there should be an amendment.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. As I said, I will be meeting the Minister later today and I will relay the views raised by TDs and Senators here. That will be passed on. Is that possible?

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Thank you, yes.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Okay, I appreciate that. Can I take it the minutes are agreed in that situation? They are. Thank you very much.