Results 5,261-5,280 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay. That is good.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay. I have one last question. It is slightly outside the subject matter and, therefore, I will understand if the representatives do not have the data to hand. The committee recently produced a report on embodied carbon in the construction industry and modern building methods. Is that an issue the local authorities are considering as they design or go out to tender for delivery of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: This is specifically around the carbon intensity of construction, however. I do not know whether the officials saw the figure reported recently by the Irish Green Building Council, which is if everything we build will be concrete, on these figures, we will way overshoot our carbon emissions targets. There will be vacant units, reuse and repurposing, but we also need to look at modern...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Kavanagh. The cost of carbon is something we will have to factor in in future. Deputy Gould wanted to come back in briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Kavanagh and Ms Maguire and their respective teams. I ask them to bring back to all of their staff the acknowledgement and thanks of the committee. I know many staff working on housing and it is a very difficult department. It can be very stressful across the board, including in the cases mentioned by Deputy Gould. Estate liaison officers do incredible work as well. I know we...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Sport and Recreational Development (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: 41. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the next round of sports capital funding will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56768/22]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sport and Recreational Development (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: 10. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way that her Department intends to protect referees at local matches from physical and verbal abuse; the engagement that has taken place with national governing bodies and match official representatives on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56769/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: 79. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage amount that investment in early years has increased by in each of the past eight years; the total percentage increase in that period; his plans for future investment in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56222/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: 126. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the little book bag initiative; the number of books that have been distributed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56223/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Regulations: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Good morning and welcome. We are meeting to consider the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No 4) Regulations 2022. I welcome the Minister of State. He is accompanied by officials from the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Briefing material and the draft regulations have been circulated to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Regulations: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Does Deputy Ó Broin wish to respond to the Minister of State's remarks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Regulations: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: We will start with Deputy Ó Broin, followed by Deputies Higgins and McAuliffe. Anybody who-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Regulations: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I noted that. If anybody attending online raises their hand, I will bring them in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Regulations: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: The Minister of State has heard members' comments and he can take it that the committee endorses the regulations and supports the planning exemptions. It is absolutely necessary and right to do this. I ask him to take our thanks back to the staff both in his Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for their unprecedented efforts to deal with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Messages to Dáil and Seanad (17 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Dáil: The Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has completed its consideration of the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2022. Under Standing Order 100(2), the message is deemed to be the report of the committee. In accordance with Standing Order 75...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Select Committee (16 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: To reiterate what the Minister said, under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, there is an obligation on all employers to provide a safe system of work and a safe place of work and methods of reporting concerns that would arise in the workplace. That option is open to anybody, even a member of the public, to report. It can be reported online and while people must provide their...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Select Committee (16 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: I would agree with Deputy Doherty on the benefits and advantages of deep retrofitting much of our housing stock across the country. He is right. Not enough has been done in the past. However, the energy retrofit scheme that was recently introduced has been cited at European level as one of the better and best designed energy retrofit schemes out there. These things take time. It takes...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Select Committee (16 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: Whatever Deputy Doherty's view is of the future of the Green Party or my future, the Green Party has always been clear about what our policies should be. Those policies have always been about future-proofing this country in the context of energy by improving energy efficiency and making energy affordable for residents and for the people of our country in general. On the previous occasion...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Business of Select Committee (16 Nov 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is an endorsement. It is good to get that endorsement. I commend Sinn Féin. I am able to say that it is doing the right thing. I do not often say it but I welcome this policy. I also welcome that Sinn Féin has dropped its Tory-influenced energy price cap. It was a ridiculous idea that Sinn Féin jumped up to call for a couple of months ago while the Minister for the...