Results 6,381-6,400 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Byrne. I invite Dr. Michael Byrne to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will now move to members. We will take seven-minute slots.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: That is absolutely fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot. As has been mentioned, the collection of data and evidence is highly important when we are setting policy and trying to do things properly. The committee saw that in the research we did on vacancy and dereliction. A figure of 166,000 vacant homes goes around but, when it is broken down, they are not always homes that are ready to be occupied. There are many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is something in the table regarding tenancies registered with the RTB between 2005 and 2022. When it was at its peak, the number of registrations was approximately 320,000 and that went down to 246,000. If somebody does not appear on the RTB register, is that flagged in any way or is there any way to see where that tenancy is gone? Does the RTB just look at the whole number every year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: That sounds fair. I saw Dr. Byrne nodding in agreement with some of that on the data collection methods and the benefits of what it is used for. I will now turn to the CSO. The question asked was: are you a local authority tenant; voluntary community housing co-operative or private rental. Was it able to correlate between how many local authority tenancies there are and how many people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I think I know the answer to this but a tenant cannot register a tenancy with the RTB. It is only a landlord can do that. Okay. I call Senator Cummins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: Go ahead. I let everybody else run over. I will go to Deputy Ó Broin after this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I can go to Deputy O'Callaghan next if he wishes, or to Deputy Ó Broin and come back to him? Is he ready?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: On the suggestion on the property price register, I believe reference was made to the Department of Justice. Did Dr. Byrne suggest the purchaser would indicate the intended use of the property?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: Could I have clarity on the number of landlords entering the market through purchasing or acquiring new properties?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: If we had those data, we would expect, within 12 months or another period, to see the associated registrations – when they go up for tenancy, I suppose. This is not necessarily the case as the properties could be vacant. What is the normal, acceptable turnover of landlords entering and leaving a rental system? Dr. Byrne referred to how we measure that. I suspect there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: The number of RTB registrations dropped between 2015 and 2022. Dr. Byrne is not convinced that this reflects landlords getting out of the market and believes they may just be disappearing from regulation or registration. Is that what he was suggesting earlier?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: How would those data be captured? Where an RTB registration disappears or a tenancy is not registered the following year, we do not chase the person concerned and ask about the property. Resource-wise, that could not be done anyway. How could something be put in place to capture the information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: Nobody would put their hand up. Even if the research allowed them to remain anonymous, I do not think they would get involved. They would not want to be under any spotlight at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank Dr. Byrne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank everyone. It was interesting. We did not get to the bottom of it, but it was an interesting discussion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Analysis of Private Rental Sector Discrepancies: Discussion (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: Perhaps the CSO will take that on board. I thank the CSO for providing Oireachtas Members with regular updates on the data as they come out. The reports are very helpful. I can get lost for hours on the CSO website. I thank the witnesses for their contributions today.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: 127. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department maintains an updated list of the number of vacant units deemed ineligible for the vacant homes tax as they are uninhabitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43981/23]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Collection (10 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: 129. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department maintains an updated list of the number of structures deemed ineligible for local property tax as they are uninhabitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43995/23]