Results 2,941-2,960 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 (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Senator Moynihan has another minute or two remaining.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We do not tend to question the committee members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Maybe you could have that discussion in private.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I do not think that is what Senator Moynihan actually said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We are going to move on now but we will get the Senator clarity on that because it is an important point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Can I clarify something? I know the invitation was short notice. This Bill was published on 20 October. Did both organisations only see it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: To the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: So you were not aware that the general scheme of the Bill had been published on 20 October?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: It was not available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: We were sent that general scheme previously. That is something that we need to look at. If a general scheme is available, those interested or concerned with that aspect or sector should be able to look at that general scheme. I just wanted to clarify that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The interaction from the witnesses and the members has been very helpful. I am worried that the perception going out from this is that in some way we are trying to restrict landlords from selling their properties. I sense this is what is being picked up. Some of the witnesses are from a representative body for the sellers and landlords. This may be perceived by landlords of properties....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: This has also been my experience. It has been slow to start but we have introduced something that is quite big and loaded it onto the local authorities, which have an awful lot of duties as it is. With cost rental we have the banding of income levels whereby people do not qualify. Perhaps there will be a smaller cohort.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The committee would be interested to get feedback on this to see what we can do to this improve or streamline the process. Senators Cummins and Fitzpatrick and I visited an LDA site in Shanganagh today. A large amount of cost rental housing is coming along there. The concept of cost rental has been slow because it is a new concept. We only legislated for it in the Affordable Housing Act...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: It is not actually a legal requirement to have an agent. If two people willingly want to buy and sell a house, they can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes. In the scenario that Senator Cummins is talking about, where the tenant has offered a bid to the landlord in line with what is here, how do we record that? There is no agent in the mix at that stage. If I was the tenant and said that I could offer €380,000, there has to be some to record that bid.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I am not trying to in any way negate the good work that agents do. They do try to streamline the process of a difficult and large transaction. I am talking about the early stages where landlords have gone to tenants and said that, firstly, they have to serve the notice to bid and the right to bid to the RTB at the same time. That process has started, so there may be no agent involved for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: What are the legal constraints when I see a sign saying "Sale Agreed" on a property? What does that actually mean? Can offers keep being taken? Does it in any way provide safety or security for the person for whom the property has gone sale agreed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: So it just says that it has got to a certain stage, that somebody has done research on the property, seen it to be good value, maybe had engineers' reports done, and had all of that lined up, then somebody else sees the "Sale Agreed" sign, knows that a person has done the background work on that property and decides to go and find out. Could any member of the public then walk into the estate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: The agents do not have to, or they may or may not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill: Discussion (5 Dec 2023)

Steven Matthews: I know people who have been desperately disappointed when they have gone to "sale agreed" suddenly find out that there are another five offers on the table. We really should try to tighten this up. If a sale has been agreed, that should be it. To go another €5,000 or €10,000 does not really provide much for an estate agent, so there is not much incentive for them to encourage...