Results 4,621-4,640 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We will give more time to that subject as it is one of the major issues that people brought to us regarding the RTB. Deputy Ó Broin had two questions prior to that. I will allow two or three minutes for those questions to be answered, and then we will move on to the next matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Could we come back to answer that, because the ten minutes have been reached? This is an incredibly interesting and important session.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are running a little over but I hope to come back to mop up on some of those questions. The next slot is the Green Party, which is mine. The information gathering the RTB is doing is incredibly important. I understand when it does one bit of research that it leads to further questions and it does another bit of research and it gets a full picture. Has the RTB asked any questions along...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Yes. One of the reasons that we see tenants is that the landlord is going to sell. If there was a requirement that the landlord can or must sell with the tenant in situ, I do not know quite how we would do it, would that be another factor that landlords would see as over-regulation and loss of control over what they consider to be their property?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I think it is something that we would like more research on to get some clarity on that. We have a rent freeze, essentially, at the moment in rent pressure zones with a maximum increase of 2% but I hear many people calling for a rent freeze for periods of two or three years. Some of the reading I have done around it suggests that if you were to freeze rents at the moment, and you would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is helpful for the committee when we bring in various expertise and witnesses and put this range of questions to them. The witnesses are in a position to have good information about landlords' intentions or the impact of regulation on landlords and tenants. It is another area that would merit some further research with regard to the outcome in terms of availability of rental properties...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I wish to clarify that, resulting from these meetings, the committee will put a report and some recommendations together which have arisen from the contributions of our witnesses and of others.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Senator Moynihan, can consider that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry, but I will have to cut Mr. Byrne short. We have reached the ten minutes with this slot. We have been running to this length of time with every slot, so I think it is only fair to let everybody have a ten-minute slot. I call Senator Cummins.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Policies (6 Dec 2022)

Steven Matthews: 206. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans regarding financial supports to the Irish magazine sector in view of the fact that VAT was abolished for Irish newspapers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60637/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Reports (6 Dec 2022)

Steven Matthews: 576. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the implementation of the McHugh report in relation to student nurses and midwives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60382/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I note the RTB's quarter 2 improvement targets for backlogs, staff numbers and staff deployments to deal with demand. It would be helpful for the committee if we received updates on how these were progressing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I apologise but we are over time. I call Deputy McAuliffe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are out of time on that but it is an interesting question so if the RTB has data on average waiting times, I ask the witnesses to get those data back to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are going to the third round as all members have had a slot. I call Deputy Ó Laoghaire, who I welcome to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: The committee will be doing a report based on this session and two other sessions that we had. If there is a suggestion on a different methodology or something that might be looked at for those anomalous situations, we could possibly include that in the report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We look forward to discussing that Private Members’ Bill here at a future date. We have 20 minutes left. I want to ask a question before going to Deputies Gould and Ó Broin, and perhaps Senator Cummins wishes to come back in. I want to refer to the research that is being done by the Residential Tenancies Board at the moment. From the opening statement I know the RTB provides...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are going to make recommendations after these meetings. If it had greater research capability for the research budget would the RTB be in a better position to inform or advise on policy changes about the entire rental sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I have a follow-up question which Mr. Byrne or Mr. Dunne might pick up on. It concerns that statement of strategy for 2023-25. The RTB is almost 20 years in existence. The rental sector in Ireland has changed considerably over that time. There is a greater number of rentals as a proportion of home ownership than there would have been 20 years ago. I think I am reading the data right in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Dunne and call Deputy Gould and then Deputy Ó Broin.