Results 7,101-7,120 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: What was the timeframe for the 49 CPOs that have been used to date? Mr. Grimes may come back to me on that if he wishes. I now invite Ms Orla Murphy from the UCD school of architecture to make her opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Dr. O'Connor and Ms Sherry for their submissions. I will move now to members to put questions. If they could keep their questions to five or six minutes per slot, including questions and answers, we should be able to have a second round of questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I had suggested, because I know the Seanad is going through a number of votes this afternoon, that as the Seanad becomes free and Senators arrive, I will try to fit them in for their questions. However, if Deputy McAuliffe wishes to take the question now-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Does Senator Fitzpatrick wish to go first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Absolutely

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Is Senator Fitzpatrick's question for Mr. Shakespeare?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I ask the Senator to be as brief as she can. She has taken up eight minutes now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I highlighted the paragraph in Ms Murphy's opening statement where she outlined that all of the data and reports are available but there is no single entity to collate it. Will she elaborate on that? I think that aligns with Deputy Ó Broin's question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I agree with a lot of what Professor Murphy has said but, unfortunately, we are up to 12 minutes on that slot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: The next question was for Waterford City and County Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: We are all going over time because we have a lot to say on this matter. The next slot is a Green Party slot, which I will take. I refer to the compulsory purchase order, CPO, powers the councils have. One of the witnesses from Dublin City Council mentioned that it has four active CPOs and the witnesses from Waterford City and County Council mentioned that it has 49. We know that Housing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Dublin City Council tends to concentrate on the CPO of derelict buildings to bring them back into use rather than vacant buildings. Does Housing for All make it clear that local authorities should distinguish between them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I want to put the same question to Waterford City and County Council. It has a figure of 49 CPOs. What is the time period for that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Grimes. The website vacanthomes.iewas mentioned as a facility through which a person can report a vacant property. What happens when somebody makes a report to vacanthomes.ie?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: The website is administered by Mayo County Council.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: Is it a facility to report vacant properties in Mayo only or is it that Mayo County Council administers the site?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: If somebody reports a vacant property in Waterford, Dublin, Wicklow or wherever to Mayo County Council, how does that filter down to the relevant local authority and what is the next step of action when that arrives on the relevant local authority desk?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Grimes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: There is a process that has to be followed. Am I correct that there is a structured, standard process across all local authorities for dealing with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (14 Dec 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Johnston. I have a question for Ms Sherry and Dr. O'Connor who mentioned in their opening statements that there are 450 derelict units within 2 km of Cork city centre. There is a definition of a derelict site under the Act. Did the witnesses stick closely to that definition? It is my experience dealing at local authority level that often when a site is to be a deemed to be a...