Results 7,021-7,040 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (24 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: 218. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 729 of 20 June 2023, the position regarding a review of the community ophthalmic services medical treatment scheme as referenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3322/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (24 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: 224. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to third level students who are unable to draw down the €1,000 one off support towards third level fees (details supplied); if this is under review within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3137/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I welcome everybody. Today, we are meeting representatives of the Land Development Agency. Before we proceed with our meeting, members have expressed a wish to discuss the invitation extended to the Peter McVerry Trust, Department officials and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. Members will remember that we issued an invitation to the three organisations quite some time ago because the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: We have carried out a series of meetings on homelessness and published a pretty good report. We had a number of service providers, statutory providers and voluntary service providers. The Senator is correct that the Peter McVerry Trust did write to us to say it was upset it had not been invited in, and it was on two occasions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank members for their observations on this process. We have written back to the three bodies requesting again that they attend and reminding them of the powers that exist with this committee under Standing Orders to compel witnesses to appear. We will wait for the responses to come back but I would be of the mind that if the responses are similar to those we have previously received, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: We are back in public session. We are meeting with representatives from the Land Development Agency, LDA. I apologise to the witnesses for the delay in starting. We had other business to deal with. I welcome Mr. John Coleman, chief executive officer, Mr. Phelim O'Neill, head of property, Ms. Dearbhla Lawson, head of strategic planning and Mr. Enda McGuane, head of asset management. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Coleman. He probably is aware that some committee members visited the Shanganagh site just before Christmas and saw some of the work that was going on directly on the ground. I monitor the progress on the new DART station every morning as I pass it at Shanganagh; it is a welcome addition. It is a transport orientated development and that is what we should be about. Mr. Coleman...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: Sorry Ms Lawson, I must interrupt you there as we are a little bit over time but I am sure we will return to that. I will go next to Deputy Ó Broin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: We need to bring this session to an end. Deputy Ó Broin has had 13 minutes there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next speaking slot. The two Acts that we passed in 2021, the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and the Land Development Agency Act 2021 are, to me, probably two of the most significant pieces of legislation that have been passed by this Government. It takes time to deliver, and I appreciate that. Sometimes I think people have these massive expectations that we can just build...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: To clarify, the cost of financing is because the LDA is going to fund it, so it will sometimes have to borrow from the commercial market.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: It is a really important consideration. The affordability factor can be considered in terms of how much one is paying in one's mortgage or rent. If that house is miles away and one is incurring €100 a week in petrol or diesel costs, or the minute one turns on the heating, one is heating the back garden or the attic, such aspects of affordability have to be counted. Did Mr. Coleman...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: The strategy plan for 2024 to 2028 was mentioned. Going beyond 2028 - in the opening statement it was said that some of these projects can take four to five years - the LDA must be looking at projects now that it knows are four to five years out. How do they fit in to the strategy? When is the next strategy crafted, or does that depend on the attitude of future governments to the LDA and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Coleman. Will move on to Senator Moynihan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I am going to take the next slot. I think Mr. Coleman may have answered the question for me but I will ask it again to be sure. The cost of construction has increased hugely in terms of the cost of materials and the capacity and resources that are in the industry. Contractors are attracted to the most lucrative builds. We have covered interest rates, the supply chain, and all the rest of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: The cost of the units increase as the input factors increase. The LDA tries to set the rent at 35% so that it is an affordable rent, but if unit costs keep going up and incomes are not going up at the same rate, does the LDA have to sink in more equity in order to achieve the 35%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: The target numbers that the LDA could deliver would be reduced because they would chew up more of the equity and the LDA would have to go back to the Government and say it needs a lot more money. I support that concept of subventing the affordability gap. The Croí Cónaithe scheme in cities has an element of that as well. These units will not be built because there will not be a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: Mr. Coleman covered some of the issues I was going to ask about modular housing. I think he said a player the size of the LDA is comparable to the largest housing construction companies that are in the Irish market at the moment. One of the things we were trying to address in a report we did on low-carbon construction was to set a target for the amount of housing that would be constructed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency (23 Jan 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Coleman. I agree in the context of something of that size, with such a high target of delivery. As regards the acquisition of State lands, if the LDA goes into negotiation with a State agency, Department or other body to acquire a site, there is a requirement for the site to be offered to the LDA first. Does the payment for the site go to that agency or organisation or,...