Results 6,921-6,940 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes, I accept that. It can only be the tenant or those three, or some other housing body. What I want to know is how we establish that relationship so that is certain. I know it says they are the only ones who can but where is it said and how does that then become the approved housing body not the tenant that now deals with the landlord? How does that transfer of responsibility and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We could have something within the legislation to say that the tenant can transfer to an eligible agency to further engage with the landlord on the right to purchase. I get that the Department does not want to be too prescriptive in its lists, saying a local authority, the Housing Agency or a housing body, HB; an eligible agency could in this case be those three but it could get bigger or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Our guests have taken note of those comments. Just before we finish I want to go back to something I spoke about earlier regarding the notice to quit and the invitation to bid. There is a set procedure for that, we know what it is and everyone has to comply with it. In regulations attaching to this Bill there should be a standardised process for the proof of offer. There should be a proof...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes, whatever it might be, as long as it makes the process simple. Everybody at this committee was of the view at our last meeting that we are not going to see a deluge of these cases. It is one of those measures that we are introducing which is another tenants' right. Along along with all of the other tenants rights we have brought in, it is an important one but there is a still a grey...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We have all dealt with landlords and tenants who experience difficulty getting through to the local authority. If people feel they cannot raise the funds, they might put their head in the sand about it but if they know they can fill out a form and transfer their right to bid to the local authority, it gives them another go at being able to stay in their home as a local authority tenant or a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I said last Tuesday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We are going to do our pre-legislative scrutiny report on this-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The LDA has written to us to say its representatives are unavailable on Tuesday, 12 December.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The email was circulated to members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I cannot remember it word for word but it has been circulated to members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Senator Cummins was quite insistent-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Okay. I thank our witnesses.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector (12 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: 257. To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of a bank's customers (details supplied) regarding the planned sale of their offset mortgages due to the bank’s departure from the Irish market; to offer assurances that his Department will engage with the bank to ensure fairness is applied to all those impacted; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Pay (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: 244. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding ongoing negotiations related to the retention of the pay/pension parity for retired members of An Garda Síochána, following the expiration of the Building Momentum Agreement at the end of 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56078/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The committee will undertake detailed scrutiny of three Private Members' Bills: the Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, sponsored by Deputy Ó Broin; the Tenancy Protection Bill 2023, sponsored by Deputy Cian O'Callaghan; and the Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022, sponsored by me. We will consider the Homeless Prevention Bill. I invite Deputy Ó Broin to introduce the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We will take them one at a time and have the discussion. The question was on 60 days to 90 days.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing forward the Bill. I am surprised that there is no definition of what constitutes being at risk of homelessness It is one of the key criteria. In the case of tenantin situor cost rental, a person has to be deemed to be at risk of homelessness. The Deputy probably started crafting the Bill in 2019 or 2020. Has a definition been provided in other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I totally agree with the Deputy. If one is going to judge a situation, one needs a standard to judge it against to determine who qualifies. It is important that we have a definition of "at risk" of homelessness. I do not know if this is it because I have not had time to see is there something in it. I would like to ask about a couple of the definitions. Do we have a definition for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of Homeless Prevention Bill 2020, Tenancy Protection Bill 2023 and Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2022: Private Members' Bills (14 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I would like to spend a little more time on defining it so it is not open to interpretation. What one person might consider "inadequate housing" might be considered by someone else in the same circumstances as very adequate to his or her needs. Subsection (2) of the Deputy's Bill amends section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. The new subsection (12) includes the phrase "each local housing...