Results 5,841-5,860 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I invite Ms Hegarty to make her opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will open the questioning to members. There are many other Members of the Oireachtas present today who are not members of the committee, so I ask Deputies and Senators to keep to the strict time limit of six minutes. I will start with the Fianna Fáil slot. I call Deputy Cathal Crowe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry to interrupt Ms Hegarty. She will get a chance to expand on that answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I do not have time. I will be strict with everybody.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: Very briefly. In 20 seconds, please.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: We will come back to that detail. The next slot is mine. I will be brief with it. I wish to ask the witnesses a question about foundations. I am unclear as to what the position on foundations is at the moment. Generally, a foundation is poured concrete in a trench, and then you build up the blockwork and put in the floor. Is it the witnesses' understanding that nothing can be done to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: While Ms Murphy finds what she is looking for, I will ask a further question. Does the material that would have been used to pour the concrete and the material that would have been used to build the blocks have the same deleterious material in it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: In the poured concrete.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: Has testing been carried out on the poured concrete foundations of any house yet?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are not aware of that from any source privately done on our-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: When the core is taken from beneath the damp-proof course, one is into the blockwork of the footage. Does that core sample go down into the poured concrete as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is only the blockwork that sits on the foundations.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: We do not have any information in respect of poured concrete foundations at this stage and whether they are contaminated or whether they are failing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: That is fine. I just wanted to clarify that in my mind.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I understand. One would take from what Ms Murphy said that if the floors are poured with the same concrete as that with which the foundations were poured a couple of weeks previously from the same concrete, there is a likelihood that there could be the same material in that sub-foundation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Murphy for clarifying that. I have been reading quite a bit about the question of the downsizing option. I have received a lot of emails from many residents throughout the area. Say you have a house that is 1,800 sq. ft and under the scheme you want to come back and build something that measures 1,600 sq. ft. Those are just figures off the top of my head. The idea is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: Please do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Doherty for clarifying that. I understand it now. I will not take the rest of my time. We will move on. I have to follow a roster for the committee members. Is a member of the Labour Party present? I do not think so. I think they are in the Seanad. I will go to the Social Democrats. I call Deputy O'Callaghan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: Deputy Dillon will take the next Fine Gael slot.