Results 3,321-3,340 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: 464. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the proposed change of the legal status of childminders that would allow parents that use these services to avail of the cuts in childcare fees announced in the two most recent budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44978/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (17 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: 544. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the 49 recommendations set out in the Mental Health Commission's report regarding Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44900/23]

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: We set out to make this budget about putting money back in people's pockets, protecting children and families and ensuring our climate and environmental challenges can be met head-on. We framed it as a budget for children, your pocket and our planet. To me, the most significant aspect is the €14 billion infrastructure, climate and nature fund. It safeguards continued capital...

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: The party’s figures do not add up. It comes back with figures which suggest that it will spend less while providing more housing. As I have clearly outlined, the biggest constraint is not the funding but the capacity to be able to do it. This Government is committed to building more cost rental housing, more affordable housing and more social housing. We have seen the result of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Code (12 Oct 2023)

Steven Matthews: 142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review existing supports available to those in receipt of the State pension to include financial supports for those that are coeliac to assist with the cost of their dietary requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44502/23]

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

Steven Matthews: I welcome everyone. Today the committee meets to discuss discrepancies in data collection in the private rental sector. We are joined by Mr. Cormac Halpin, senior statistician with responsibility for census outputs, and Mr. Kieran Culhane, senior statistician with responsibility for the statistical systems co-ordination unit, Central Statistics Office, CSO. They are very welcome and I...

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

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Halpin. I now invite Mr. Byrne to make his opening statement on behalf of the RTB.

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?